


Ailurophile

by Ultoris



Category: Kung Fu Panda - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Romance, Sexual Content, Suspense, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-12
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2018-05-01 06:51:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 37,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5196350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultoris/pseuds/Ultoris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tigress sets out to fulfill her duty as Kung Fu master and a hero, but something goes wrong. She is taken by the enemy. Will she be able to endure the assailment of her captor or will she succumb to the demon she faces and discover that there is more to the man than she had ever realized? Mature themes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It all goes wrong

**Author's Note:**

> I will be making things more Explicit further along, not sure how much, but I welcome and appreciate any and all advice given to me.

Within the violent, snow-capped formations of the Tavan bogd mountains, at the base of one of it's largest crags was the maw of a prison. This prison was much more than an ordinary jail set to contain cut-throats and thieves, it was designed to contain a demon, one that was thought to wear the guise of a man. Yes... blanketed behind the harrowing blizzards, and the deathly cold was a fallen warrior, someone who was once perceived as a champion, and during his rise, he had been truly unrecognizable in his skill and power.

Aside from Oogway himself, none before him had been so venerated as a fighter. He had been raised to emulate the dreams of the one who trained him, and before his adulthood had already surpassed his own master. But with his tremendous rise came an even greater fall... It was one night, over twenty years ago, that the great hero, adored by those he protected, turned against his people and those who raised him. The attack was unprecedented. How could he, the one meant to be their Dragon Warrior, turn so foul when the very day before he had displayed such a grounded tranquillity? It made no sense. Only the two masters understood, but they discussed with it no one. After all, there were overwhelmed with grief.

Of course, rumours spread, lots of different stories, each outlandishly in their own way. The truth was never simple, but, in the end, it was the very worst tellings that stuck. And so, he was labelled a monster, all of his past good deeds forgotten, for it was last act towards his former folk that mattered the most. His crimes were, in fact, punishable by death, but it was through the influence of the Grand Master that another option was taken, one less merciful. At first thought, one might wonder, how could this be so? They let him live.

Tai Lung did not have to wonder. At the beginning, it was dejection that plagued him. He had a done a horrible thing, and rightfully he had been punished... but... did he deserve this? He placed everything on the Dragon Scroll, all of his self-worth, all of his hard work, his whole reason to exist. He knew that the answer was yes deep down, that he did deserve this, but spending twenty years being allowed to do nothing more than think about that does things to the mind, leads one to dark places. Surely his master, his father, cared for him still, even after what he'd done? Eventually, a few years had gone by, and he decided that it couldn't true. He was... worth nothing to them. Not worthy of the Dragon Scroll, and apparently not even worth execution.

After the dejection and eventual acceptance of his fate, the years of unending thoughts gave birth to resentment, and the torment he received gave birth to loathing, of everything. He should have been killed, for this was a fate than death. He was trapped here because of what he was... what he was not. He knew that if could someone get his hands on the Dragon Scroll, everything his former master had made him, what life had made him, all his bad deeds, would be nullified. That scroll would have him filled with all the qualities he lacked, it would remove everything in him that drove him to do mad things.

He wondered, had he been told that he was to spend the rest of his life as not much more than a piece meat, capable only of thought, incapable of even protecting himself, would it have been easier to handle... or harder? The first time he spoke was also the last. He had looked his tormentor in the eyes and swore revenge. That day had been especially unpleasant, but after giving the warden a wry grin, he had turned silent again. That was... years ago. Certainly, over decade ago, and he knew twenty years had passed since his first day in the mountain.

The mountain... was such a cold place. The weather... never changed.

It was one of the reasons he did not sleep. In this place that even the Gods forsook, no one had a care that the crestfallen Snow Leopard―so well concealed from the world― was unable to find his rest. It was even more maddening because his depleted state was only thanks to the massive Turtle Shell that he was forcefully entrapped in. Without it, all his problems would go away... So simple. That very thought reminded him that his sterling... living conditions would never change because this wretched device on his back was more than fool proof.

In this state, he was unable to make up his mind on whether falling asleep or staying awake was worse. If he stayed awake, he would only see this place, cold, dark... and utterly boring. If he closed his eyes, he only saw faces, empty gazes watching him... with accusation.

Today... felt different. He somehow knew that the air of his cage had changed.

His suspicions were soon confirmed.

Regardless of the sheer size of the hollow mountain, he could still hear the Warden's roaring echo from up high, and because of the ambient stillness, he even just about managed to make out a few of the Warden's words; at least he thought he had. Though he was not able to express it, he was slightly baffled with what he was hearing. Double the guard... Inadequate security... Hm...? He might have scoffed, had he been able. Why on earth would the warden do that? Then he began to wonder. Did... did something happen? He had no idea what was going on... He felt his frustration flair up like a firework, then gently forced it down out of necessity. New Gossip, it was gift... This place was nearly always too quiet.

"Escape from Chor-Gom Prison- is Impossible!"

Whichever way he... approached the situation... Tai Lung wasn't going anywhere, and he'd likely find out what the commotion was at some point... Perhaps later, when Vachir paid him a visit. Maybe the rhino would give him an idea of what provoked such a loud response. Vachir did like to talk.

He distinctly heard the Rhino's throaty laughter... He was closer. This made it much easier for him to listen. "One Thousand Guards, and One Prisoner!" A weaker voice replied. Tai Lung's name was mentioned on a whimper. A new scent reached him.

He heard the Lift platform's chain, and again Vachir's laughter.

With a little more focus he thought he heard distressed noises. The sharp ringing of chains immediately registered.

He was coming down...

Normally, Tai Lung would have dreaded this. He let out a breath. There were few reasons why the Warden ever came to see him, and none involved keeping him warm. But this time, Tai Lung was not focussed solely on that. Although the anxiousness was certainly there, he was also curious because Vachir was with someone, and Tai Lung wished to know who had come to his house. He took in a breath.

He heard the Cogs creak and turn, and felt the Drawbridge impact through the stone as it touched down on his level. He felt eyes on him.

"Behold, Tai Lung."

There was a pause, then a shaky voice spoke. "I'll, umm- I'm just gonna wait right here."

Vachir chuckled. "There's nothing to worry about. It's perfectly safe," he placated mockingly, and then he smacked the fellow forward.

They proceeded towards him. "Crossbows, at the ready!" Vachir barked.

"Crossbows?" The small voice said apprehensively. He must have been the new scent Tai Lung had picked up on. Now that the Vachir and... whomever this person was were right in front of him, his perception of them was now at its strongest.

Vachir strode towards him without fear. "Hey, tough-guy! Did you hear? Oogway's finally gonna give someone the Dragon Scroll, and it's not gonna be you."

"What are you doing? Don't get him mad!" the goose practically squealed.

"What's he gonna do about it? I've got him completely immobilised," he drawled. Suddenly, Tai Lung felt his instincts prickle. They told him to react, they begged him to move, but he could do nothing. Vachir lifted his foot- and hammered it down. The goose whimpered, and Vachir barked again, in laughter.

"..."

The goose knew that it would be painful, no matter who you were, yet the hulking snow leopard did not so much as flinch. Vachir wasn't fazed by Tai Lung lacking response, it was no different to a thousand other times he's done this. The Warden crouched, and moved his head right next to Tai Lung's. "Oh, did I step the widdle kitty's tail? Aw," he cooed. It was the least Vachir could do... and Tai Lung could sense that silent message. The Warden would come to see him later. The Snow leopard seethed behind his unbroken facade. This was what he had been reduced to...! This was what he was left alive for! Only this.

The goose broke, and laughed tensely. "I'm good! I've seen enough! I'm gonna tell Shifu he's got nothing to worry about." The goose turned, and quickly set off.

"No, he doesn't. " Vachir affirmed.

"Ok, I'll tell him that..." The goose reiterated. Vachir snorted. "Can we please go now?"

How he wished to tear the Warden apart. So much... If only he were free, just for a moment, it was all he needed. That bastard, whose depth of cruelty exceeded any levels that Tai lung had ever witnessed a single person endure, deserved much more than Tai Lung was willing to restrain himself to follow through with, but he could only ponder what would never be... He felt his rage build up... It was irrepressible... All control slipped away. 'I'll kill him! One day-'

-It had been small, virtually undetectable. Yet Tai Lung had felt it.

Fierce eyes opened... and looked down.

* * *

The evening was late in the port city of Hong Kong. The wharf was completely barren; absolute silence reigned. The whole area was void of life. The one source of light was the moon's lunar glow reflecting beautifully on the waters of the sea. A pair radiant amber eyes stare down at their conquest.

She would never admit it out loud, but Tigress was beginning to feel the tension of this task weighing down on her.

A whole year had passed since the death of Tai Lung, and all of his alleged allies had seemingly broken apart, fleeing in separate paths.

Everyone believed it to be true and allowed themselves allayment with the threat now finally gone... But recently whispers arose that Tai lung's contingent still existed and that this legion was planning an attack. Eventually, these whispers reached the Valley. Master Shifu saw no other option; the rumours had to be confirmed. If they were true, then being proactive was the best option.

Leading Po and the rest of the Furious Five, Tigress had been sent to Hong Kong, where Master Shifu had been exhorted numerous times that that was where the former allies of the late Tai Lung had gathered in preparation. It could have only likely been some kind of plot for revenge, Shifu had spent much time pondering the rationality of it, but she personally thought it didn't matter. It honestly made no sense as to why they would plan an attack now. If Tai Lung was no more, what advantage could they possibly have? Who would lead them? If they were planning an act of war without Tai Lung at the head, then she seriously doubted their real strength...

Though on the other hand, she knew well enough to never judge a book by its cover. They had to have acquired some can of 'hidden element', something which gave them an incentive to organise this. If they were going to attack then all that was important was protecting the valley and the innocent.

She volunteered herself.

A gathering of China's most fearsome warriors would surely bring nothing but ill for everyone. It was not just the valley, but this was the entire country under threat. For her, it brought about another opportunity to show Shifu that she was worthy of recognition and affection, and not a simple device to ease his own grievances. Just thinking about it left a bad taste in her mouth... It seemed that every opportunity she had at proving herself, the more it slipped from her fingers... Shifu's 'love'.

Tigress shook her head sharply. She discarded the miserable thoughts and forced all her focus on the task at hand. 'This time, will be different.' But she had to maintain concentration. There was too much to lose, and letting her mind wonder would certainly lead to making a mistake. It was time to address China's worst. If anyone could succeed in this, then she'd be the one to do it.

Crawling silently across the rooftop of a tall boatshed, she neared the East Indiamen ship where her supposed enemies were hidden. Huáng hòu ān nī fù chóu was carved down the bow of the ship, which had large figurehead above of a red dragon. She ignored it and moved on.

This was where Tai lung's former band had gathered. It hadn't been hard to figure out, simply spying on the loudest fool had tipped them off.

The ship creaked quietly as the waters rocked it with gentle waves. At the sight, one would have never known it was filled with dangerous criminals.

Looking to her right, she saw Viper and Monkey hidden in a nearby tree She gave the indication with her hand to both of them, giving them the command to proceed toward the ship's deck. They gave her a thumbs up- well, just Monkey- then they moved forward. It was their job to remain unseen and look into the ship for confirmation that this was, in fact, a part of what used to be Tai Lung's followers.

To her left was Po, Crane, and Mantis, who she signalled to stay put for now. They would provide the backbone of their assault, being the most overwhelming of the masters- besides her, of course. They would be there to even the odds if things got out of hand.

They gave her nods; except for Po, who pouted childishly at being told to stay back.

She looked back to the ship. Her eyes scanned the area for any crewmen on deck, and she saw that the coast was clear. She jumped from the roof. The wind rippled her fur, leaving a cool breeze as she descended in the ship's direction. She landed aboard soundlessly with grace only she could achieve. A pair of boars passing by were chatting incoherently to one another. She could pick up the stench of alcohol on their breath; in fact the strong smell was so overwhelming, it almost made her gag. But despite this, she easily snuck by them. She then followed to where Monkey and Viper stood on top of the roof of the ship cabin.

With a strong leap, Tigress shot up, not making a noise. Walking between the two of them, she crouched down and looked into the cabin's window.

Most of the room wasn't visible because of the awkward angle the window was built on. She was able to make out a burly fellow standing in front of another equally big man. She could only see their lower halves. Their conversation seemed rather hushed at the moment, and the one speaking looked as if he was in some sort of protest: making hand gestures and moving around a lot. The other was simply motionless and speaking too quietly to be heard. Moving closer, she attempted to hear more clearly what the two of them were saying.

"...This isn't a sort of joke, is it?" Hong still wasn't getting the message.

He shook his head while chuckling humorlessly. "A joke? Re-think that for a moment. Tell me when in all the time you've known me have I ever made a joke, Hong?" Hong chose not answer.

"Have ye' lost y'er head!?" a roared a deep voice. Tigress ducked instinctively, hiding from view.

The ox's obviously foreign accent echoed in loud roars of anger and confusion, giving Tigress the impression that their discussion had suddenly gotten out of hand for some reason. It was a contrast from the formerly hushed tone they were using, and though they were unaware of the stowaways listening to their every word, they could all definitely feel the disturbing stain in the atmosphere- despite it not showing.

What they had been told had disturbed them greatly.

"Opposed to popular sentiment; I am perfectly sane, old friend," the stranger explained with irritation.

Dun could feel burning eyes sharply force upon him the vexation he- the individual felt. Yet, in appearance, he displayed only indifference.

He had known before even telling them of his departure that Dun would react in this way. The old hand had always done as asked without any complaints, but this time, his actions were with logic... Clearly they thought he was mad. But he did not expect them to understand, only to do as they were told.

"When ya' called us 'ere, I coulda' guessed there'd be some sort o' delayin' to our attack... but now that we're all together, you're gon' ta leave!" the ox shouted, confusion and betrayal seeping into his thick voice. He did not believe it! To him, it looked like he was running away... But he wouldn't voice that; it would probably end with him getting more than a verbal retaliation.

The heavily armoured gorilla grunted in agreement. He shifted in his plate armor and gave the stranger a collected- although slight disbelieving- stare. "I was of the same mind, but you now tell us that you are taking leave of China... abandoning us? Has the air in this foul town affected your thinking?"

He huffed at the two of them and spoke again. "What I said was that I wanted the Dragon scroll, and we all know what happened with that, now don't we?"

Eying him in suspicion, they weren't convinced. The last time he'd spoken to them all together he had been dead set to take revenge, and this change was just aberrant.

He had tried his best to explain to them, answering every question, yet he knew none of them would truly be able to understand. He was was very tired, and didn't want to explain it to them again. "I will NOT repeat myself. This isn't a discussion, it's a conclusion," he told them tightly. He didn't really blame them though. Their reactions were justified, and in the end, this was just another one his failures...

He continued. "I think... that I've explained enough-"

"And what about us? What are we supposed to do now?" a sultry soft voice spoke, cutting him off.

Looking to the left of him, he saw the Wu Sisters staring at him with pouted faces in an attempt to look sad. He knew the only real reason the snow leopardesses were following him was because he provide them with a sufficient amusement, which was their description of inflicting suffering upon their enemies. Providing them with entertainment wasn't his job.

He stared at them in consideration for a moment, then brushed them off without a care. "Do whatever you want, I don't care. I have called you all here to finalise our dispersion. You are all now aware that I'm leaving China tonight, and what you do from here is your choice. I play no part in your affairs from this point." Then he decided to add, "You'll still be paid, so you needn't worry in that regard." He had known what he was going to do for a while now. He had nothing to gain from staying in China, so he had to make sure no one would be causing trouble in his name. It was the kind of attention he had no need for.

Dun looked at him in disappointment. He obviously was not very happy. "So, that's it then… Y'er just callin' it off? We've gone an' organized all o' this here f'er nothin'?" The stranger sighed but barely nodded to all of them. These people had believed in him, and- like himself- had something to gain from all this.

Shifu had hurt and humiliated many of those who followed him...

"Well, I guess it was fun while it lasted," one of the Wu Sisters said with sadness. The other two mimicked her over dramatically. He probably would have laughed at them. But this wasn't really the best time. Instead, he shifted on the spot, feeling an odd sense of scrutiny, unaware that their whole conversation was being listened too.

Tigress had her ear pressed against the window. Her eyes narrowed as she focused harder on listening. With Viper and Monkey doing the same, they had crouched down beside her. The three of them were leaning on the windowsill, completely silent and listening carefully to every word. They were becoming more and more anxious to know just who this person was to have the power to call off this group simply because he tells them. Passing a concerned look to both Viper and Monkey, the three of them proceeded to listen in further. They were oblivious to the company behind them. Then a new voice made itself known.

"Alright, what we got?" a high pitched voice spoke loudly behind the three of them. Yelping, they turned quickly and saw Po grinning goofily at them with a guilty looking Mantis and Crane flanking him.

Viper and Monkey both sighed in relief and annoyance, gritting her teeth irefully. Tigress looked at the three of them coldly. "Didn't I tell you to stay back? What are you doing here?" Tigress hissed.

Chuckling guiltily, Mantis looked up at Tigress and flinched at how angry she looked. "Were sorry, but we couldn't stop him. He insisted," Mantis said, throwing is pincers exasperatedly. Crane simply shrugged and smiled nervously, going with the same excuse.

Turning her attention to Po, she narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here? You know the plan... Why aren't you doing as you were told?" A lesson he seemed to forget in moments like these.

Taking in none of what she'd said, he waved her off. "I wanna find out who the bad guy is! If he's so great, then he won't mind takin' on the Dragon Warrior," Po proclaimed smugly.

Tigress face-palmed, her irritation swiftly growing. "Panda, your childish need for finding trouble could end up putting all of us in danger," she scolded.

"You're taking this whole thing way too seriously, Tigress. Together, it doesn't matter who we fight, nobody can beat us," he said with a carefree attitude.

Tigress could have gaped at the panda. Not so long ago, he had been the definition of humble and respectful. But at times like these, he seemed to act without thought... She didn't know how to handle someone without anyone background of discipline. What she did know was the he had been oddly overweening lately. She had come except that he was the true Dragon Warrior and found that she respected him and what he'd done; she had even begun regarding him as a friend. But his behavior was out of character for someone who should carry the title of Dragon warrior. This was a display of nothing but vain stupidity. Yet even all this! Was all easy to brush off; she had simply put it to one side, but that didn't mean she wasn't irritated. No, it absolutely infuriated her! He just couldn't take a hint, and now he disobeys an order during a mission of such importance? 'He should know better!' This time, she wasn't going to let him off.

Her thoughts were brought to an end when Po moved to where she was. Listening in before leaning on the window frame, he attempted to look inside. It was useless; all he could see were their legs. Leaning closer, he put more of his weight on the window, and it started to crack. But this went unnoticed to Po, who was too occupied with premonitions of an epic battle to notice. Eventually, he moved away, annoyed that he couldn't see who they were.

Pushing Po aside crossly, she crouched down and went back to eavesdropping on their conversation, not noticing that the window was now damaged. Leaning her weight lightly on it, the whole experience was immediate; the glass shattered. She fell through and landed right in the center of the warriors.

Looking up, bright amber eyes met luminous gold.

Everyone was in complete silence now. Dun, Hong, and the Wu Sisters all gawked at the tiger that had seemingly fallen from the ceiling, but Tigress was not concerned with what had just happened to her but more with whom she was staring at. Standing up slowly, Tigress's eyes never left his. Now it all made sense.

It was truely him..! She took in the sight before her. He appeared to look no different than the last time she had seen him. One thing that certainly was the same was his cold expression, although his eyes were filled with confusion as he looked back at her. She could see the cold cruelty beneath the surface.

"...You," Tigress whispered in astonishment.

"You?" Tai lung's eyes furrowed at her, his tone strangely curious.

Now that she was in the room with all of them, Tigress now had the perfect picture to put to their voices. She observed that the ox was old and very rough, like his accent. He appeared to be very angry, and he looked like the mercenary type. He didn't appear to be a soldier; probably a retiree who sought more out of his work. He carried a huge red stained mace on his back.

Then there was the gorilla. He was a giant. He held himself seriously and, despite her intrusion, didn't look too phased at all. He bore huge plate armor on his body, his fists were tensed. She couldn't tell his role in this, but he was obviously not someone to minimize as a threat.

Finally, there was the Wu Sisters. They looked exactly like the tales had described them: beautiful, but deadly- or more aptly described as beautifully deadly. They stared at her in a sort of innocent fascination, but that was probably a façade they wore to hide their true nature. Or they were crazy. All three of them carried oversized chakrams, likely for more close combat.

So these were the leaders of this entourage.

Dun was the first to stop gaping. Snapping is head to Tai Lung, he furrowed his eyes. "Ya' know this girl?" he asked warily. The rest also looking at him in curiosity.

Getting over his astonishment, Tai Lung exchanged it for his signature scowl. "Yes. "We've met before," Everyone, this is Master Tigress," he declared, not taking his eyes off of her. There was an edge to his tone as he wondered how long she had been up there and what she had heard. He knew that there was someone spying- he'd felt it- but he had assumed it was merely a nosy crewmen, who he would have dealt with later. Seeing her here now would confirm that there were others with her as well.

"Of the Jade Palace?" Hong questioned.

Tai Lung was about to answer, but more people jumped into the cabin through the broken window their comrade had fallen through. Po, Crane, Monkey, Mantis, and Viper all landed around her protectively. They gawked at Tai Lung. He was not surprised they were here. 'Like a herd of sheep; one falls, the rest follow'.

Po's eyes went wide and he yelped, pointing at him, thunderstruck. "TAI LUNG! H-how..." But then he seemed to find himself again and assumed what could vaguely be called a Kung Fu stance.

"You stand no chance against the Dragon Warrior!" He said triumphantly.

Tai Lung gave Po a quandary and seemingly disgusted look.

Dun turned to look at the panda with narrowed eyes. "Dragon Warrior...? You... You're Shifu's little lapdog, ain't ya?"

The Wu Sisters began giggled at the insult. Po looked like he'd been slapped across the face. Dun had obviously meant to make it clear that he was mocking him. A bloodthirsty smile then appeared on the Ox's face. He drew his mace then leapt at Po with ridiculous speed for one of his size. With a kick, he sent the panda through the cabin door right on deck.

"Po!" exclaimed Monkey, his eyes widening in horror. Quickly, he and Mantis charged after them, intent on stopping the Ox's rampage.

Hong made after where Dun had just run off. "I will help him, I do not think that even Dun has enough skill to take on two of the Furious Five, including the Dragon Warrior by himself." Tai Lung watched him follow off in their direction.

She bent down preparing to pounce. As everyone was here now, she wouldn't have any interference when taking down her predecessor.

The Wu Sisters used the rest of the Five's astonishment as an advantage. The three of them leapt up, went through the broken window, and fled. Viper and Crane had followed the Wu Sisters out from the window while Po, Monkey, and Mantis were currently fighting with the large and heavily armored ox and gorilla, who had run out on deck. Giving Tai Lung her full attention, Tigress crouched down and prepared to attack while his attention was on the others.

Tai Lung began to survey the situation. Quite honestly, he felt he could have managed the lot of them with relative ease, but if the others wanted to fight, then he didn't have a problem with that. It would give him less work. He spotted the Panda and stared resentfully at him. Presently, he was on deck combating Dun. He flexed his claws and scowled. Even though he was leaving, he itched for the opportunity... He had done well to rid his mind of the fat Panda when so far away, but now that he was right in front him, he felt old grievances ignite. After months of thinking about it, he had come to the terms with his decision to leave. But suddenly, he felt almost every part him ready to stay just so he could get his claws tearing into the cretin's neck! The urge was intolerable. But... he hesitated, noticing the tiger was not in the battle. Then out of nowhere, someone with a death wish decided to floor him.

Tai Lung looked to who had dared attack him- while falling back. He saw Tigress looming over him. She was already about to claw his face. As he reacted, time seemed to slow, stretch out. Growling, he caught her wrist- just quickly enough to stop her from cutting him- then he tightened his grip. He threw her over his shoulder and into the wall hard, doing all this while going down. Then, skillfully, he changed the course of his fall and moved back to a standing position as if he had never lost his footing in the first place. Tigress landed her feet on the wall and flipped off it back into an aggressive fighting pose.

Narrowing his eyes at her, Tai Lung snarled. She almost had him right there. He also had the problem of holding back so that he wouldn't cause damage to the ship, a problem she obviously would not share. He would not underestimate her.

"So, what brings you all the way to Hong Kong?" Tai Lung asked coyly as the two big cats circled each other.

Regarding him fearlessly, she met his icy glare with one of her own. "I could ask you the same question." He didn't give her an immediate answer; instead, he only watched her. His eyes drank her body. She found herself feeling even more threatened by his silence. She had begun holding her breath... Obviously, he was looking for flaws in her stance, right?

He finally started talking. "I think that the right to ask questions is mine, especially since you are the intruder on my ship," he stated like it was obvious. "I have no desire to fight you all so I suggest you run along back to the valley," he said dismissively. She narrowed her eyes at him. He shrugged in confession. "Alright, maybe... I wouldn't mind an aggressive engagement with a certain panda you have with you, but mercifully, I would prefer if you were to leave."

She shook her head at him. "I came here, to put an end to the anarchy you left behind, and now that I've seen you alive, I will do everything in my power to stop you."

Laughing tauntingly, he tilted his head, mocking confusion. "Stop me? Tell me; from what exactly will you stop me from doing?"

Narrowing her eyes, she started to retort. "I..." She looked down thoughtfully; she didn't have an answer, and he knew it. She growled. "It doesn't matter, I know that anything with you involved could be nothing but savage!"

Smiling fiendishly, he told her, "So what you're saying is, you don't have a clue. Well, plans can be altered, and since you're here- I will tell you. You stop me from killing all of your friends, which you have just delivered to me on a silver platter."

Tigress snarled at the threat. She'd erase that satisfaction soon enough.

She delayed no longer and leapt at him.

"You won't touch them!" she roared, springing her foot.

A perfect flying roundhouse kick aimed at him. It was blocked effortlessly by the larger and more experienced leopard. The moment before her paws touched the ground—She tried again, throwing her fist straight at his face. But quicker than the eye could see, he dodged, and let it fly right passed him. She jumped away putting a couple feet between them. Her mouth set into a thin line, he hadn't retaliated at all... yet.

She took a wide stance and resorted to something she normal wouldn't deem necessary. She unsheathed her claws.

Bursting towards him, she attacked, semi-wild, a barrage of fist and claw, at all angles. He retreated from most the assault, easily evading her, but abruptly her speed picked up, and he was forced to move even faster... It reached the point where he could no longer manage to dodge her claws; she slashed at his shoulder—he blocked forearm to forearm, swiftly she caught his arm and locked around it. She was shocked that she managed to catch him. She brought her claw down hoping to harm him. It landed! Yet, taking her by surprise, he seemed to anticipate exactly what she had intended. Catching her hand on the curve of his bicep and shoulder, he trapped her paw and stopped her before she could drag it down.

He left them both stuck.

For a brief second, they caught each others eye—Then she pushed! She seemed to have to the advantage, but his haughty smirk worried her. He went still as a rock, sending a message on how seriously he was taking her. She frowned and put All her strength into pushing him back. They both began to strain, and his smirk vanished. At first, she thought she'd managed to match him- but no, it wouldn't happen. He threw her back with too much force for her to handle.

She staggered back and hit the wall. Leaning on it, she used it to balance herself temporarily. She heard a snicker. She growled at went at him again.

He ducked under another vicious kick, this time taking a grip on her ankle and using her own momentum to spin round, and throw her against the wall of the ship. She gasped as her back collided with solid wood, only to grunt as Tai Lung pinned her against the wall with her arm cranked behind her back. Tigress frowned in discomfort. She knew... he was enjoying this... humiliating her, but it would not work.

He pressed himself flush against her and whispered in her ear. "No? Then show me how you intend to stop me?"

Tigress blushed furiously, butterflies dancing in her stomach. She immediately tried to free herself. "… G-Get off of me," she demanded, struggling in his grip.

"Make me," responded Tai Lung.

Thinking quickly, Tigress spotted a weapon rack within reaching distance. Holding her breath, she braced herself. She dislocated her own arm with a pained grunt, escaping Tai Lung's hold all while maintaining breath-taking quickness and grace. Quickly, she snapping her shoulder back into place. She drew two butterfly swords and turned, holding them out threateningly. Tai Lung was impressed by her determination but didn't allow it to show. Abruptly, she blasted forward, having the swords ready to skewer him.

He narrowed his eyes and prepared to move out of the blades direction. She must have seen this because the blades were pointed in an altering direction as if ready to move to with him... Tai Lung let her get closer. The space between them was almost gone. His fist shone blue, and it burst right through them, both shattering the swords into fragments that flew all around the room. Tigress gasped. The world seemed to slow down as he grabbed her by the throat out of the air and rammed her to the ground, pinning her there.

Her eyes went wide... 'Did that truely just happen?' If she wanted to do that... it would have taken her all to break steel the way he did... Yet Tai Lung broke both swords and didn't appear to have put any effort into it at all. What kind of training could give one the strength to do something like that? She recalled Shifu explaining that the feat of shattering hard metal with a mere push of one's hand was attained only by the very few most powerful warriors in Kung Fu history.

She felt panic and desperation bleed into her thoughts. Why couldn't she win? How could Tai Lung still be alive, even after Po had used the Wuxi Finger Hold? Nothing could survive it! What could she do against someone who could?

The more she thought about it, the more it unnerved her... Now she was beginning to regret this whole endeavour.

She prepared to try and get away, but then she looked up. She saw Tai Lung looming over her with a resolved glare. Fear started to build up within her. She was in trouble.

She swallowed and brought her paws up to his arm. She tried to pry him off, but hold on her was too strong. Looking around desperately, she sought help, but none of the others were anywhere to be seen. She could hear them battling outside, and all she could do was hope they were winning. Turning her attention back to him, her eyes were fearfully taken hold of by Tai Lung's. He seemed to enjoy how vulnerable she looked, then on his face a dark scowl appeared. It was almost enough to make her turn away. The terrible look he wore told the whole story, that she was finished.

Raising his paw, he prepared to house his legendary nerve attack that had beaten her and the rest of the five previously. His fist began to emit blue energy. She froze, unable to act.

His voice cut her straight to the core, it struck fear into her heart. "You will never see them again." Tai Lung said before he struck.

Estranged pain passed through her, and the last thing she saw was Tai Lung as he stalked off. Then her vision went black.


	2. Seize a Tiger

Moaning, Tigress awoke to the warm sensation of the morning sun kissing her face. At first, she wondered if what had happened was actually just a bad dream, and hoped that she had just woken up in her room like any other day. But as her eyes began to focus, her surrounds told her otherwise.

Leaning up groggily, she put her hand to her forehead as she felt a numb pain spike all over her body. It was just like the first time she'd been hit by Tai Lung's nerve attack. She shook slightly at the soreness that reached even her bones. She would have thought it would be less painful the second time around, but she had to admit it was just as bad- if not even worse. Looking at her surroundings, she could tell instantly that she was still on Tai Lung's ship. She couldn't recognize this place as her home. She had been laid on top of a corner post bed with a thick red quilt and large cushions at her head, but she didn't pay this much notice.

Getting off the bed, she lowered her feet slowly to avoid feeling any more pain. She walked toward the nearest window from where she was standing and saw that there was no sign of any land nearby... How long had she been here? Where were the others? Were they safe? ... Or even alive?

Huffing angrily, she turned to the double doors leading to the outer cabin, walking toward them. She heard the noise of a muffled conversation. She could recognize one of the voices as Tai Lung's, but the other was unfamiliar to her. It was extremely deep, even more than the snow Leopard's. From how loudly they were talking, she guessed they were having an argument. But about what? Moving closer, she put her ear against the door.

She could make out Shifu's name being mentioned, and then they both began to raise their voices higher. Their conversation seemed to be getting worse. But then- oddly- they both went into immediate silence. Furrowing her brow, she tried harder to listen, but could hear nothing. Then, without warning, the doors burst open, making her stagger through. She almost fell over, but luckily managed to regain her balance by leaning on the nearest thing to her. Her head rested on something very hard yet very warm. She felt a deep chuckle vibrate through the object she was pressed against. Looking right up in front of her, she saw Tai Lung's chest. Slowly raising her head, she looked into Tai Lung's blazing eyes.

He smiled deviously.

"Careful now, you shouldn't go throwing yourself in harm's way just so you can get your hands on me," he mocked.

Leaning off his chest, she managed to hold back her embarrassment and not turn red faced. He merely smirked. She didn't know if he was referring to her attacking him or that she had clumsily fallen right in front of him again. She kept up a stern frown. Truthfully, she was scared- very much, in fact. Her friends were nowhere to be seen, and she was trapped here with him. She pushed down those feelings. Now was not an ideal time to be afraid. Steeling herself, and ignored her current pain, she jumped away from him. She went into an aggressive mind state.

Her expression turned furious as everything that transpired rushed back to her. "WHERE ARE MY FRIENDS?"

"No longer here," he stated. But then he saw the panic on her face and decided he should elaborate. "I mean they're no longer on board," he said calmly. But this only made her more distressed; the look on her face reflected her thoughts shamelessly. What he was saying didn't seem to help. Gripping the bridge of his nose, he went over how he could say it so that she understood. "They were removed before we left Hong Kong... and they are all alive," he ended reassuringly.

She didn't look convinced, however. Scoffing disdainfully, she searched his profile for any deceit. "How do I know you're not deceiving me?"

He glowered. "I'm not." The vibe coming off him told her that he was insulted, so maybe he was being honest. She couldn't tell for sure, so she had no other choice but to believe it for the moment. She had to force herself to calm down. If they were safe, that was all that mattered. But why was she here? If Tai Lung had spared them and let them go, why had he not done the same to her?

Glad she'd calmed down, Tai Lung sighed. He watched her gaze divert to Hong, who had argued that her being here was foolish and that it would bring upon them the retribution of the Jade palace. Hong wanted her to be thrown off with the rest of them, saying that if he would not kill them then maybe their beating would be enough to discourage any pursuit. But Tai Lung knew better. Shifu would not stop either way. This way he, at least, had leverage. So he had told him she would stay and that was the final word. Turning to him, he inclined his head for him to leave. Hong regarded him with a single nod. He went out on deck leaving the two cats alone. Turning back to her, Tai Lung was about speak, but she cut him off.

"Why am I here?" she asked bluntly.

Tai Lung grinned at her. Right down to business, eh? "I would ask you the same question! You somehow knew where I was, and when I would be there. I'll assume that you were tipped-off." Crossing his arms, he looked her over. "So tell me, how did you find me? Who was the rat?"

An insolent smirk appeared. "Perhaps your plans weren't as foolproof as you thought they were."

He scoffed. She still seemed to think he had been planning an attack, even now. He shook his head. "Have you looked at where you are? Or do still believe that I have some GREAT army ready to ravage the provinces of China?"

She narrowed her eyes. Though she hated to admit it... looking at the situation and adding the whole mess up, the idea that China was under an imminent threat didn't seem as plausible now. Tai Lung back-tracked to her earlier question. "You asked me why you're here? There are a few reasons, but honestly... Did you believe I'd just let you all off without any repercussions?" he condescended. "Your little group put my departure back a full day, and I don't take kindly to idiots interfering with my plans. By the time I had finished with them and had thrown them back on land, you were still unconscious. And since they were no longer on the ship, I decided that I'd keep you as a captive," he informed her.

His explanation did nothing but increase her ire. "What purpose could keeping me here possible serve? I'm your enemy- be rational. I would only get in the way." Surely he could see this?

The look on his face seemed to change from amusement to thoughtful. "Well, I can think of a few reasons why having you around could serve me. Now that you've mentioned it, I'll need to give you some chores while your here."

She became guarded; whatever he meant, she knew it wasn't good. "What do you mean chores?"

"Yes, well I can't have you doing, nothing can I?"

She gave him a disbelieving look. Now she understood. He actually thought she would do what he told her? He had another thing coming.

"You can take your chores, and shove them," she hissed at him. He really was mad if he thought she would.

He stared for a moment, then smiled darkly at her. She'd be lying if she said it wasn't unnerving. She had only ever seen him wear that look before he used his nerve attack on her. It wasn't less threatening the second time. She knew defiance would only serve to antagonise him. "I think you might want to reconsider. You're in no position to be disrespectful." He spoke tonelessly, but she could feel the underlying threat behind it.

She held back looking away from his glare and met it with her own. Showing him that she would not back down, she snarled, "I'd rather slave away for your fool crew than perform a single act in your service."

His smile widened and his eyes seemed to become dimmer. She swallowed; she had never seen that before. The intensity made her blood turn to cold. He uncrossed his arms and stepped in front her. "Perhaps I might grow on you."

The way he looked at her made her shiver. She gathered her bearings and glared venomously, not faltering under his scrutiny. But she'd be lying if she said it wasn't hard. "I'd prefer plague."

His smiled faltered for a moment, appearing to twitch. He leaning his head at her patronizingly. She would not have known it yet, but she'd regret saying that. "Are you sure? I really doubt you'd be safe with them." She knew what he was talking about, but she doubted that all of them together could handle themselves in a fight as well as she could. And it would be better than being near him.

"I'll take my chances."

He shrugged. Grabbing her wrist, he threw the female over his shoulder and rounded his arm over her back, trapping her. He proceeded to walk out on deck. She started flailing. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she yelped. "PUT ME DOWN!" she growled. She began struggling and making noises of agitation as she attempted to get him off, but it was futile.

Tai Lung walked across the deck gaining a few of the onlookers staring in amusement at their Captain carrying the ship's newest passenger, kicking and screaming. Tigress glanced to her side and her eyes widened as she saw some of the crew grin mirthfully. "Get. Off!" she growled. She attempted to harm him by continuously punching his back, but he was unfazed. Walking down some steps leading to the center of the ship, he dropped her in front of Hong, who looked at Tai Lung incredulously.

"Tigress has been kind enough to volunteer to swab the whole deck. Have someone bring her a bucket and rag, will you?" At first, Hong looked at him as if he were joking, but then nodded uncertainly and went to see to it.

He looked down at her scowling face- and smirked. He briskly took her shoulders lifting her up.

She was surprised by his sudden actions and noticed that he was looking her in the eyes. She stared at him cautiously, but made no move. He brought his face closer till they were but a few centimetres from each other. At first, she was confused by his actions. Then she looked into his golden eyes. They held much, and yet they were empty and draining... She was suddenly captivated by them; something drew her in, and before she knew what happened, his lips brushed softly across hers.

Instant protest began. She tried to push away. How could he dare- but thoughts seemed to die as quickly as they came... She closed her eyes tightly. It was gentle at first, and her lips remained passive under his own, taken by the pure shock of it all. Until he pushed their mouths against each other even further, making her blink rapidly, and her breath hitch. This feeling was unusual to her, and she couldn't deny that... it wasn't unpleasant. Her mind went blank. Slowly she allowed him and- though unaware of it- wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head for a better angle. It seemed to go on for some time, from what she could comprehend, but then he suddenly pulled his mouth away. She almost forgot where she was, but managed to keep herself from falling. She felt something in her hand and saw a rag placed there.

Blinking, she came out of the daze. His eyes moved to her hand now holding the rag. Then she looked behind Tai Lung and saw Hong, who had an unreadable expression. He set his gaze at something in the sky. She looked back at Tai Lung, who was eyeing her in an extremely haughty manner. Fully coming out of her dazed state, she gasped in realisation.

Without thought, her palm connected hard with his cheek. His head only moved a faction, but he didn't react. He seemed to be registering the attack. Then he snaped his head toward her, his eyes burning. He looked like a volcano about to explode. She awaited his retaliation, shout, rage at her as she predicted, but it was not at all what she expected- in fact, it downright stupefied her.

He burst out laughing.

It wasn't chuckling, either. He was shouting in mirthfulness. She stared at him like he was he was crazy, then, confusing her even further, the on-looking crew joined in- even the apathetic gorilla was smirking. Frowning, she stared at them all in irritation. What was so funny about that? Growling quietly, she made it known that she wasn't the least bit amused.

Catching his breath, Tai Lung grinned whimsically. Noting her confusion, and overly obvious anger, he decided to put her at ease before she got any more frustrated. "I'm sorry, I know that deserved that. It's just that no one would even dream of ever doing something remotely like what you just did... it was very refreshing," he explained with a frolic tone.

Tigress stared open-mouthed. Yes, certainly not what she expected.

He sighed. "You do hit hard," he said, thoughtfully touching his cheek. He actually sounded impressed. She was too baffled to say anything.

His eyes then changed, turning cruel. "You have a lot of spirit, but that trait will only amuse in the short-term. Since you volunteered to help the crew, this is how you can start. And if you refuse to do this, then I'll find another way you can help them. Perhaps, I'll tie to the mast, naked. That would definitely boost morale." He gave her the bucket forcefully.

Collecting herself, she stared at him in disbelief and struggled to talk back. It was a frightening suggestion and not one she was willing to test. Besides, he was already walking away.

"I'll leave you to it then," he said over his shoulder. He gave the audience a deadly look. "BACK T' WORK!" he barked. Being prudent, they all fled back to their jobs. Tai Lung walked back the way he came and left her in a state of unbalance.

She touched her lips feeling a wave of faintness, but she quickly cut herself off and wiped her mouth with the back her hand in disgust. Looking at the rag in her hand and feeling upset... she begrudgingly began to work.

Tai Lung sat in his cabin in deep thought over what had transpired throughout the course of the day and the night before. But mostly, he was thinking of his captive. She was an intriguing one. He had enjoyed provoking her. Simply because she made it too easy. He also pondered the kiss they shared- or, rather, the one he gave her. It hadn't bothered him in the slightest, but she appeared to have been greatly affected by it. She was so disciplined and controlled, but when properly stimulated, very receptive. Perhaps, he'd set himself the goal of seeing how far he could push her to act outside her taciturn nature, maybe she'd try to kill him again, but she could be handled if she tried to harm him. After laying low for as long as he had, he understood that amusement was a pursuit worth reaching for, and he would find a lofty amount in her.

Hearing the doors open, he saw Hong wearing a deep frown- no doubt there to further discuss their newest guest.

"Master," Hong's deep voice rumbled.

Of all his allies, Hong had been the most loyal, whereas the Wu Sisters and Dun had essentially been in it for themselves. Hong followed him unwaveringly, no matter the course, and decided to stay with him. Unlike the others who promptly left after the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior had been dispatched, and sent back to the valley in a beaten pile.

Tai Lung nodded, acknowledging him. But then he frowned. "I've said before, Hong, you have no need to refer to me as master. Just use my name."

]The gorilla hesitated, but agreed. Since Tai Lung won him as an ally, Hong insisted on calling him that. Tai Lung had no desire to be called as such by Hong; he regarded him as an equal. "Do you think it is wise to leave her out there?"

Tai Lung looked at him. "Come, it's not like she can't handle herself."

Hong's frown deepened. "It's not her I'm worried about."

Tai Lung chuckled. Yes, he could see a few broken limbs in the near future. "Well, if the men give her trouble, then it's their own faults. By the way, the squealer, any clue on who let slip our meeting?" It was something he had yet worked out, and he after the battle yesterday he needed to know who it was.

Hong shook his head. "Perhaps the Wu sisters?"

Tai Lung didn't believe that. "No, I don't think they would have. Although, Dun had been rambling with his men quite recently. Maybe someone had been able to understand him enough for him to give us away." It was possible. Tai Lung's only regret was that hadn't kept a tighter grip on things.

"Maybe," Hong said nothing else.

Tai Lung walked to the window. The sun was setting. He would check on her shortly, maybe relieve of her duties if her disposition was better. "Have one the men to bring a good meal to the cabin while I check on the prisoner, will you?" He didn't wait for an answer.

To say she was tired was an understatement. She was completely worn out; bad aches engulfed her whole body. She- she had cleaned the whole area and was now finished. Slumping back against the side of the ship, she slid down it until she was sitting. Damn Tai Lung for making her do such demeaning work... She was even a little mad at herself for actually listening, but what if he had followed through with his threat? Would he have? Though conflicted, it wasn't something she wanted to test.

She pondered the mess she was in, and how she ended up like this. She blamed the poor quality of windows on these ships. Not that she knew much about how they manufactured them. But all she did was put a small amount of pressure on the glass, and then she was through it? It didn't really add up. She was leaning on it before with Viper and Monkey, and it was more than stable. Shaking her head, she put aside these thoughts. They weren't getting her anywhere, so it was pointless to ponder it.

Many of the crewmen that passed her by took a look at her while she was working. She reacted by sneering at them, to which most had fled. Any that weren't frightened of her... well she be happy to teach them why they should.

"Hi!" She heard a childlike voice speak in front of her. Looking up warily, she prepared herself for battle, but she saw what appeared to be a... lion cub?

Furrowing her eyebrows, she observed him to be just above two feet tall. His fur was unkempt, making him look like he had been running around all day. He wore a cheeky smile. She also noticed that he was wearing a very tall hat, which was almost half his height. If she looked at the child from a distance, his look would have probably had him confused with a larger animal because of it. She smiled kindly at him, but it faltered. She had to wonder what a child was doing on Tai Lung's ship.

"Hello, what's your name?"

The boy smirked. "My name's-" He coughed in an attempt to make his young voice deeper. "My name's Xiaodan." She snickered at him in amusement. "You're Master Tigress, aren't you? Hong says you got caught by the captain sneaking on the ship." The gorilla can talk? Interesting, he hadn't spoken a word near her even once yet. Not like this little one. The youth spoke energetically, and it brightened her mood a little bit.

"Yes, I am. I and my friends were on the ship last night." This was her chance to ask some questions and find out for sure if Tai Lung said was telling the truth. "Do you know what happened to my friends?"

Xiaodan looked at the ground thoughtfully. "You mean that snake, monkey, crane, and mantis?" She nodded. "I saw the Captain kick them all off the ship."

"So they were all alive?" Xiaodan nodded quickly. Then she remembered that she had not asked about the Dragon Warrior. "What about Po?"

Xiaodan looked thoughtful again, then his face brightened as if he had remembered. "Is he the really ginormous panda?"

She raised her brow at the boy. 'Correct,' she thought in surprise. Ginormous seemed like quite a big word for him. "Yes?"

She didn't think it was possible, but the boy's bright smile seemed to become even brighter. "He got SQUASHED!" he said, stomping. "By the captain!" She held back her laughter. Honestly, she couldn't help but find his amusement a bit comical. Coughing, she resigned herself. She needed to take this information seriously. The boy was too innocent to be living here; this place wasn't exactly an ideal playground, considering it was filled with cut-throats and all other manners of unpleasant people. She would have to find out more from her captor when the opportunity came. Astonishingly, he seemed to be quite happy despite the living arrangements he had.

Tigress' expression became one of confusion. "Squashed you said?"

"Yeah, the panda was all like, 'Am gonna unleash my awesomeness!' but then the captain got really mad, and he decked him," he finished his little tale, snickering at his own imitation of Po. She winced at the last part, but that didn't answer the question. The cub had noticed she wasn't looking too good; at least, she didn't from her body language. Her posture was slouched, and her limbs seemed to be limp. The cub looked at her in concern. "Are you okay?" He tried leaning down so he could see her face properly, but it was too slouched- even for his height.

She ignored the question. "So Tai Lung spared him?"

"I did," she heard his deeply rich sardonic voice sound at the side of her. Tigress and Xiaodan both turned to him. Looking up, she saw Tai Lung watching her with a nuance she couldn't recognise. Turning to Xiaodan, the snow Leopard beamed. "Have you been polite to our guest, Xiao?" The cub nodded eagerly at him.

"Good, run along now." And with that, the little lion cub ran off to his own devices.

Looking back at her, he frowned. Observing her, he could tell that she was absolutely exhausted. It had eluded him till now, but he remembered that his nerve attack usually left victims in poor shape for a while after, and making her work all day obvious hadn't helped her recovery. He could only really blame himself for that. He should have remembered. She might have ignored him and done nothing when he left her, but it looked like she had taken his threat to heart. Picking her up bridal style, he proceeded to walk back up to his quarters.

She was far too knackered to protest to his action, so instead she asked him a question. "Where are we going?"

"To my room." He did not look at her as he spoke; nor did he really need to. He ought to have been more careful with her. She was obviously ignoring her pain, and it was his fault she was like this. She wouldn't endure any more stress. After all, she was his responsibility for now, and he would be a very bad host if he did not take into account the wellbeing of his game.


	3. Forbidden thought

Tai Lung looked down at Tigress' fatigued form cradled in his arms. Her breaths were long and heavy. He knew she was trying to stop herself from drifting off.

It was late in the evening now, and the moon was up high. He considered that she would want food after everything that had happened. Food would be waiting for him in his room when he went inside. He didn't really want anything anyway. She looked like it would do her good; of course, because she probably hadn't eaten for a while before she'd set foot on his ship. He might have been mistaken the significance, but he was impressed by her strength and skill. He'd definitely missed a lot whilst in prison... During his youth female warriors were very uncommon, were they still? He continued walking towards his cabin. He moved her so that her weight was supported on one arm. He used his free hand to open the door.

Tigress watched him uncomfortably. She had not been handled this way before, and she couldn't stop herself from feeling helpless in her current position. The only reason she allowed it, despite not liking it, was because she didn't have enough energy to stop him. Tai Lung himself didn't appear to be too bothered by carrying her; he looked completely indifferent. Feeling her scrutinizing gaze on him, he looked down at her. Their eyes met for a moment, but she quickly averted her gaze elsewhere, so he simply carried on. Tigress saw that many crew members sat chatting together and eating quietly, so she assumed the crew would take their breaks anywhere they wanted. During her observation, Tai Lung started talking to her. "Are you hungry?" he asked quietly.

Was she? No, she was wasn't hungry; she was starving. But, unwisely, she decided to ignore her hunger and glared at him. The moment after her refusal, her stomach groaned in protest, deciding it should speak for itself. She blushed and looked away from him bashfully. She cursed her stomach for betraying her.

He smiled. "Then... you should eat."

Sighing, she looked at him questioningly. "Where would I eat?"

"Well, I could humour the idea of letting you dine with the crew, but I'm not going to." As if there was any real chance of him doing that.

She could see some of them giving her inappropriate grins. Most had depraved looks in their eyes. She grimaced in disgust. It was plainly clear that she would not be any safer with them.

"Fine," she muttered quietly.

He smirked at her but did not boast. Moving on, he passed all his crewmen and noticed her eying some of his men not bothering to hide the nervous look in her eyes. He knew the crew had not had a woman's touch for a long time, and he had not allowed them to with the short time spent in Hong Kong.

Lowering her to her feet, he put his hand on her back to support her in case she would fall. Opening the door leading into the inner cabin, also being his quarters, he walked in. Tigress followed, and the aroma of food hit her instantly. She honed on a tray of spiced shrimp, decorated with salah. Her eyes almost burned holes into the meal laid conspicuously on the table in the center of Tai Lung's dwelling.

He could see how much she hungered. Looking at her and the meal, he frowned slightly, wondering when she would make a move. "That's for you, you know," he said impatiently.

She didn't even question him and merely sat, then began to dig in.

He watched her eat quietly. She seemed to still maintain etiquette despite her great hunger. She had her eyes closed as she savored the wonderful taste and didn't notice Tai Lung watching her thoughtfully. He wondered how often she allowed herself luxuries like nice food in the Jade Palace. Not that what he'd given her was particularly ritzy, but his curiosity made him wonder, was she this austere in attitude all the time, or was it only in the face of her enemies?

As she ate, she took in her surroundings. The room, overall, was very lavish. It was filled with things that would allow anyone to live comfortably. At the furthest end of the room were eastern styled glass windows. The floor was redwood, and the walls were the same, although they had pretty looking patterns carved into them. There were bits of furniture around the room of you would not usually find in anyone's home. Then there was Tai Lung's large bed. It had a tall canopy holding up transparent red curtains if one wanted more privacy. She didn't know much about ships, but she innocently guessed that it had been designed for a premier individual.

Sparing a glance at him, she noticed the bizarre look he was giving her. She wondered if he wanted to eat as well; it wasn't like she could stop him. This was his home, so he probably would have started already if he wanted too.

"What?" She asked self-consciously.

Breaking his train of thought, he shook his head. "Nothing, I just don't think I've seen a women eat in over twenty years," he explained.

"Can't imagine why," she muttered with sarcasm, but not quietly enough for him to miss. He snorted and moved to sit across from her.

She was glowering at him with uncertainty and her thoughts went back to her second encounter with him. At first, he was cold, cruel even, and then this morning he had made her labor all day with threats of punishment. But now, he was suddenly being polite and even somewhat gracious towards her, feeding her nice food. What was his game? She began to wonder if he had an ulterior motive, and that this behavior right now was him setting her up for some other sort of cruelty.

He could see she was bothered by something, but regarded her with ignorance. "Why the glare, Master Tigress?"

"I don't understand you," she stated. Her eyes were narrowed, showing that she was upset.

He frowned at her. "Then you should speak your mind, not bore holes into me with your eyes."

Growling lightly, she did exactly that. "You've been malicious till now, telling me you'd kill all my friends, making me slave on your ship."

He shifted in his seat, looking somewhat contrite. He did remember saying something along those lines. "Yes, well I can get a little carried away at times, hostility tends to bring out that side of me."

"And what about making me work until I could barely stand?" She snapped.

If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn she saw a flicker of guilt in his eyes. He began his apology. "I know, and I regret it. It is not my desire to have you slave away during your time here. I only-"

Not his desire? Was he trying to insult her? She cut him off crossly. "Only what? You must take enjoyment in having me so helpless. You're a fiend! You know that?" Her anger at him getting the better of her, she shot out of her seat.

She did not believe for a second he was sorry.

He looked unimpressed. "A fiend, am I? Well, I wish I could say I've not been called worse. Really, is that the best you can do?" he jeered. As expected, she judged him. But this was something he knew would happen at some point.

Like a predator storming toward its prey, she moved in front of him. A verbal assault ready, she looked him dead in the eyes, signifying that she was not afraid of him. He was nothing but a hate-filled killer and would not to intimidate her. "All the horrible acts you've committed- destroying the valley and all those homes, attacking those innocent people who had done nothing to you, what you did to Master Shifu- is all unforgivable. Being locked away was merciful weighted to all you've done."

This time, she could see clearly in his eyes, some other emotion, although he looked suppressed. Were it not for the weight in his eyes, she wouldn't have recognised that her words had any effect on him. To her distaste, he began as if reciting some kind of formal address. "My attack on the people of the valley cannot be forgiven, and though you may not believe me, I do regret my actions. I know I will have to live with what I have done until I die, but-" His demeanor fell and his face darkened hatefully. "Whatever I did to Shifu he brought upon himself, and I will never be sorry for that."

He wouldn't stop there, the anger was thick in his voice. "You can call me evil, or 'fiend', as you creatively settled. And, maybe you're right, but you, Master Tigress, do not know me. You know nothing of the circumstances that occurred twenty years ago." The snow Leopard's chair groaned in protest as he rose up.

She knew she wasn't as threatening as she wanted to be, considering that he was over a head taller than her. "You're judgement of me comes purely from what you have been told by tales. You have only heard second-hand accounts. If you going to hate me for what I've done, then at the very least you should know a complete truth. I don't even need to ask if you ever considered that the allegory you have heard was dogmatic at all. You think Shifu is completely innocent don't you?"

She'd admit, she didn't expect any remorse whatsoever; that rubbish he's spewed out couldn't be genuine, but the way he turned it on her threw her off balance. He began talking about Shifu. She felt as though he was attacking her now. "It's always the same excuse... It's not your fault, is it? Throwing the blame on Master Shifu doesn't relieve you of any guilt. He's far from perfect, but everything he did was for you, to give you the best life he could possibly give you. Why do you hate him for that?" she questioned, shaking her head at him.

He snarled, absolutely incensed. Hearing her defend his former teacher just made him so angry, it was irrepressible.

Tai Lung advanced slowly towards her, forcing her to take a step backwards, which made him follow at equal pace. "For me... ugh. Hate does not begin to describe what I feel. I dedicated my whole life to that man. Pursuing what was meant to be the paramount achievement. He told me so. That scroll, he said, would be the making of me. It was our dream, and I went for it, for him. To this day, I don't know why. Is that hate...? And in return for giving nothing less than the sacrifice of my body and the commitment of my soul, he gave me NOTHING! Nothing but betrayal and abandonment! Is that what you would call hate? If so, then do you really need to question why I feel the way I do? I've thought about this for twenty years, and the influence of my efforts eluded me for a long time."

His face became blank, which somehow unnerved more than his rage. "In the end, though, I knew that my indoctrination was meaningless. He used me! If he couldn't do it then he'd make someone who could." Indoctrination was a powerful word for it, and yet for some reason what he was saying resonated with her.

She swallowed. Her back hit the wall.

He saw himself as the victim. She probably would have, too, but rampaging through the village? What did he expect? She would never dream of it in a million years. How could Shifu have known he wasn't the Dragon Warrior? It couldn't have been exactly how Tai Lung beheld.

Bracing his hands on either side of her, he blocked her escape and moved closer till his face was a few inches away from her own. A deep frowned emerged. "What confuses me is why you, of all people, would try and defend him."

She frowned at him and tried not to look intimidated. "What... do you mean?"

He smiled wickedly. "Don't act ignorant. I know all about you. Shifu taking in another child- after me. I doubt he treated you right." He attempted to touch her cheek, but she withdrew from it quickly.

She looked away from him in contempt. Her words came out in a harsh whisper. "You don't know anything." She repeats him own words. "You don't know me."

He ignored her and continued to speak. "Clearly he hasn't, otherwise why react so strongly."

"I know more than you think." The look on her face said she disagreed, but he didn't care. "I mean, before he turned his back on me— the moment Oogway denied me the Dragon Scroll, he would only bless me with the rarity of his affections when I achieved something in training." He brought his face close to hers. "I heard that he turned into a reclusive bitter man, never smiling, never laughing. Tell me... Is this how he is with you?"

"Just stop," she ordered. She looked around seeking an escape from this.

She wanted none of it. Tigress didn't need him of all people to tell her things she already knew. She remembered everything, and how could she forget, it was her youth and it molded her into who she was today. He had never even praised her once. When Shifu adopted her, she had gained what she'd had during his visits, not a father, but a teacher. She wasn't an idiot, but at the time she thought that she needed to earn his attention, it was the sentimentality of a child. It didn't matter now, though.

His mood took a sudden downward shift. Each word carried a twisted disdain behind it. "I know Shifu, and if I'm right then I imagine you had it rough. You see with me it was the training that brought me approval... I bet you had none of that." She opened her mouth, but no response came. "Your wide eyes and lack words says it all. I can see it now... No matter how hard you try to gain favor, no matter what you do, he ignores how good you are- He demands more. Your form is perfect... but! He watches quietly for it and when sees it, it's ALL he sees! The weakness, I'm I right?" Every callous word, every look of disappointment- It all came rushing back. She always let him down, and now she had done it again by being defeated by his son.

The distaste in his voice became much thicker. "I pity you, you know. For one day I had the recognition I wanted, oh yes I got there. It took the very breaking of my bones and sweating blood to please him. Naturally I took it all in—only forcing my body to work harder and causing myself even more pain. Then, when Oogway said no, that was the last I'd see of it. That's only the physical part, which I'm sure you have as much experience in as I do. For you, though, it must have felt like you had never left that orphanage, maybe worse."

She shook her head, denying it. She had been so happy when Shifu had taken her with him, away from the orphanage, but... when she arrived at her new home, he turned cold to her, like all the time they spent getting to know each other didn't happen. It suddenly occurred to her.

She couldn't do it; she couldn't tell herself he was wrong. Because no matter how much she hated Tai Lung, the life Shifu had given her was nothing compared to what she thought she was going to get. Her training was essentially the only time she spent with Shifu in excess, and her memories of training weren't fond ones, not any of them. Errors and how much more she needed to push herself were her motivations, and it brought her nothing but self-disdain. She had asked herself too many times what it was that he saw wrong with her, and never found the answer.

"Enough," she pleaded quietly, trying to block out his voice. She felt so tired, her energy deficient. Physical she could do nothing because she was still hurting everywhere and mentally she just didn't have the fight in her after everything that happened.

He continued on, ignoring her protests. "I'm right then, I can tell. He treated you like dirt... and you know it. I assume that it got worse after the panda dropped in. Then you were left with nothing."

This time, she shouted to get his attention, but he was in whole different place. "I SAID NO! NO MORE!"

He sneered at his own thoughts, too caught up to see her distress. "Wait, let me guess, the old man... pokes at you rough when you've done wrong, eventually get poked enough that the desired outcome is reached, but no praise, oh no! I bet he enjoyed poking you a little too much." She was wrong, even when she absolutely knew she had done right.

"S-Shut Up!" she said helplessly. She tried, really tried to make herself hit him, but her sore body, no energy, and hearing all of this held her from physically making him stop. Her despair ran deeper as she realised she had to take this. She closed her eyes tightly, failing to stop the painful jarring in her head. Her vision blurred.

His voice was now filled with venom. The more time he spent thinking about it, the more his anger grew. He stared right into her. "Face up to it. He doesn't care about anyone, or you! He doesn't give a damn about you. All he cares about is his own spotless reputation. After he found out you weren't the Dragon Warrior, you were simply trash—nothing in his eyes, expendable. Just like I was-"

"NO!"

She closed her eyes tight, hoping somehow to rid herself of the torpid pain that suddenly took over. Adrenaline surged. It washed over her, giving her a burst of strength.

She used it.

He came out of his outspoken thoughts suddenly, and his eyes widened. She threw a clumsy punch at his face, which he instinctively caught. He was surprised by how much effort he had to put into hold back her fist; he took a tight grip on both her wrists. Her eyes were brimming. Her face seemed to tremble. She fought against what was coming, but she couldn't hold it in for much longer. The naked look she fired at him made him uncomfortable. His anger faded instantly.

He hadn't been trying to cause her anguish. He found no enjoyment seeing her in this state. This reaction brought the question, just how real were the things he'd said? How could she tell him it wasn't real now... During his confinement, his only knowledge of the outside had come from the guards banter. Rumours had spread that Shifu became withdrawn, that the cold Master had become sullen and to himself. Tai Lung had latched on to it, and he presumed the rest.

He watched her warily.

She was like a cub with no one to look after her. A statement that would doubtlessly have earned great pain if said out loud. Her current state left her powerless. This was something he could relate to, and even though someone like him wouldn't have cared at all about an enemy, seeing her like this didn't bring any satisfaction. He hadn't intended to do this, not so much... He should have had better control of himself. But his former master was a sore point; it seemed that she shared this sentiment.

Shiny and narrowed, her eyes quivered in a struggle. She still fought it. A single drop leaked free from the corner of her eye. Then, finally, the dam broke. Her expression turned helpless, hot torrents of angry tears began coursing down. A whimper escaped. He let go of her wrists and stepped back as though he'd gotten stung.

Her face had hurt written all over it. The sight made him want to move far away from her. Feeling conflicted, he continued to watch. He'd not noticed it before, but he saw something else there. His instincts were telling him that he was treading dangerously, but he didn't look away. He was baited. Her eyes held a weakness, which he knew were the circumstances ordinary she would never let anyone see. The pain she felt; he had an affinity with it. Perhaps that was it? It was idiotic, and he had no understanding of it, but he couldn't help but find her beautiful.

Tai Lung watched as she brought her hand to her face to touch against what was for her, completely unacceptable. She stared at the wet on her fingers and scowled through glassy eyes. He heard an agitated groan escape as she tried desperately to stop her sobs.

Tai Lung placed his hands on her cheeks and drew away her tears away, in an act of care he couldn't remember ever showing anybody before. "I am-."

She looked up at him with hopeless fury and bared teeth almost in an attempt to regain lost conformity. He almost decided to grab hold of her again incase she'd lash out, but the anger faded and her attempt recovery turned into more failure. Suddenly, she went lax, then with no warning, her head fell into his chest. He froze up, clueless on how to proceed. He remained unnaturally still.

She had reacted strangely. He realised she was clearly not in her right mind. Unpleasantness hit him, he had done this to her. Baffling himself, he tentatively placed his hands on her shoulders, and moved his arms around her. It felt incredibly awkward to him.

She did not tense or withdraw, but buried herself deep into the embrace, totally unaware of what she was doing and who with. Her hands gripped around his shirt, and she rubbed herself against him, jerking silently. He was close enough that he took in her scent, and memorised it. A deep shadow crossed his eyes. Moving his hand to the nape of her neck, and began stroking it tenderly, seemingly genuine with comforting her.

She looked up at him with glazed eyes and saw him looking back. He made no move to back away from her or move forward; he simply stared with his honey colored eyes, which were suddenly magnetic. Something in his gaze had a deep influence over her. She sought something she couldn't name. It was a longing that should have been ignored, but his eyes somehow forced her to address it.

Slowly, she went on the balls of her feet and wrapped her arms around his neck, her gaze never leaving his. Putting her paw to his cheek, everything seemed slow as she pulled him in.

She closed her eyes as their lips brushed gently. She clung to him hopelessly... His eyes went wide for a moment. Thoughtlessly, Tai Lung snaked an arm around her waist, crushing her against him. He placed his paw on the back of her head so he could designate the force he desired. To his satisfaction, she copied, pulling him closer. They aligned and pressed together. His tongue prodded lightly on her mouth. She obliged without thought, opening her mouth for him. Tai Lung was encouraged by her compliancy, and his tongue entered her mouth. At first, she did nothing but then seemed to pick up on his strokes and joined. Tai Lung felt himself begin to stiffen. She smelled so good.

He felt himself losing control. She never would have kissed him, or even touch him in any other way than violently, but now here she was, touching him... and kissing him. She let out a soft moan, pulling into his mouth even harder. That was enough. His thinking be shattered. He growled lasciviously at her fervor, and pushed her off him, backing her against the cabin wall.

Placing his hands on her sides, he lifted her off the ground and felt the curve of her powerful hips. He moved to kiss her neck. His predatory fangs grazed across it, making her shiver. Moving back to her mouth, his paws pushed into her shirt and began pulling it up. He had revealed more stripes, and was about to go further, then her eyes snapped open. The fog cleared. She pulled away from the kiss, gasping.

Coming to her senses, she put her hand on his chest. "No don't," she said imploringly.

Tai Lung first looked startled at her sudden withdrawal, then he scowled. "Why not?" he asked angrily.

She turned more desperate. "I just can't! I've never ev-" Tigress cut herself off, realizing what she was about to say.

He was confused by her, and annoyed, but then saw the deep blush written on her face. Then it hit him. Of course. What other reason could there have been? He mental smacked himself for not picking up on it before. But it really wasn't something he'd tried to figure out. And even still, she shouldn't have been so— He thought since she had stirred this up...

Tai Lung looked at her panic-stricken face. She looked like she would turn ill if she got any more upset. He sighed, and lowered her to the ground. Although it was against his nature to release, he found the restraint to do so this time, just. "Very well. I'll let you go this time, but if you ever do this again, I won't be able to control myself," he said with complete seriousness.

He was telling the truth, and she was unnerved by it. But how had it happened, she wondered about that. It was something beyond her. She tried to ignored it, put it aside, but she couldn't. She gripped her arms tight and looked to the ground nervously trying to piece together what just happen.

He moved to a dresser next to his bed and pulled out a pair of black coloured slacks. He began to change into them. She looked up, "What are you doing?" she asked, shocked that he would simply undress in front of her.

He gave her a displeased look. "You have eyes, don't you, woman?" She certainly did, and she averted them elsewhere when he removed his pants.

She heard him move about as he changed and couldn't help feeling as if he was taking his time- probably on purpose so that she would get even more distressed. "You can look now."

She turn back around and saw him smirking at her. He could definitely see her embarrassment. He wore no shirt, exposing his powerfully-muscled upper body and rosette-studded fur. She could plainly see how defined he was, and she couldn't prevent herself from blushing at the sight. She wasn't stupid; she knew something appealing when it was in front of her, and he was- breathtaking, actually. He looked almost the same as that time when she'd fought him on the Thread of Hope except for the slacks now being black.

Even though she had seen him this way before; she only just took notice of him now. Why would she? It was was not the same as pointing out someone weak points, instead, she was looking at him much differently. She almost forgot she was staring, but luckily for her, Tai Lung did not see this.

She yawned tiredly and gripped her head, wincing. This did not go unnoticed by Tai Lung, who frowned to himself. Yet again, he had forgotten about her pain, and on top of that, she had been moving all day. "You should rest. You need it."

She looked at him cautiously. "Where can I sleep?"

"You may use my bed, and make sure you get a good night's rest. I'll tell you our heading tomorrow," he said casually.

She was somehow relieved that she could sleep here. She could not understand it, but she suddenly felt safer being closer to him. She blamed it on the opposing company. "Why not... now?"

Tai Lung smiled, surprised she still had the vigour to care right now, but he would not tell her just yet. "You'll find out soon enough."

She shifted awkwardly, mulling over what to say. "Listen... about me, just then-"

"Yes, I'm sorry for that." He could see that she didn't want to talk about it, so he saved her the trouble. "It was not what I wanted. If there is any way I can make it up to you-" This time, she cut him off.

"No. I've had too much pent up emotion as of late." She gave him an attempt looking unbothered, but then her face went dead serious. "But ever don't tell anyone."

She was well aware that she would never be what master Shifu wanted; she had twenty years worth of lessons to vouch for that. It was equally clear that she'd never get what she wanted. The bitterness behind why he barely acknowledged her beyond a negative had been buried into the deepest corners of her mind, firmly trapped. Yet, not one day had passed since waking up on this ship, and this man had forced it out. She spent so long in Tai Lung's shadow, resentment would be putting lightly. She used up every day grinding on the knowledge that it was him she had to set as a milestone to exceed. A despondent drive, but it was her's.

Yet she received comfort from him when he had been the one to antagonise her in the first place. The one who received everything she hadn't; it was obscene. She was angry and confused. She was out of her mind... This was something held in for too long, and then it broke out, because giving in seemed easier. But now she wasn't feeling anger, not even at him. She was too spent... and oddly she felt as though a huge pressure had been removed. Despite her current position, she wasn't carrying the same amount of baggage, which baffled her.

He simply nodded.

* * *

 The Mandarin sun had set quietly over the Valley of Peace. All of its people were hurrying around, going about their business like any average day. Contrariety to its name, the whole valley was not at peace... The Jade Palace, where right now Master Shifu's voice could be heard even at the foot of the gigantic stairway made this plainly clear. Shifu's rant bellowed through sacred the Hall of Warriors.

"How. How. DID THIS HAPPEN!" They all shrunk back at Shifu's furious voice suddenly jumping in volume.

The rest of the Five with Po had returned to the Jade Palace beaten and bruised to tell him that they had failed in their mission. And not only that, but the enemy had taken Tigress captive as an act of self-grandisement. It just didn't make any sense; how could his students, the best in all of China, get defeated by the disorganized remnants of a headless army? He refused to believe that the enemy was capable of beating them, couldn't be true- not all of them. Po spoke up, his voice carried the shame he felt. "It's my fault, master. If I had listened to Tigress and... did what I was told then we wouldn't be in this mess." The others gave him sympathetic looks. They had all failed.

Shaking his head, Shifu's attitude remained stony. "I do not know how you were defeated, but whoever is responsible will be brought down!" Shifu spoke commandingly. But they still looked defeated, which confused him.

They all eyed each other nervously, each thinking out the right words. They had decided together to break the news, but now that they were here doing it, it seemed much more difficult. Viper decided to speak out. She said it as simply as she could. "That's just it, master. The one who beat us, the one who took Tigress... is... Tai Lung.

Shifu's stern demeanor faltered- in fact, it completely shattered. He turned to Viper. Did he hear right? "... What?"


	4. Dreams, Nightmares

Silently, he sat and stared at the slumbering tiger laid on his bed. He watched in a addled, yet inexplicably enthralled fascination as her chest rose and fell with each breath. It wasn't like he'd never seen anyone breathe before― and no, he wasn't the crazy person fabrications made him out to be― but he found himself just watching her sleep.

He winced. That didn't sound right... but whatever.

He scrutinised every little detail of her handsome features while she remained unmoving. It had been a while since he'd had the opportunity to appreciate the qualities that made a person easy on the eyes. Her orange fur was like fire, contrasted by the exotic symmetry of black stripes etched on her face, those long black stripes that extended down her whole body... in all the places that were hidden. He could only imagine.

The clothes she wore were just short of baggy, which was a bit odd. But he knew this was because she didn't want to be noticed in that way. It was a fickle world they lived in, and so she would be judged by her appearance as a female. Shame. He had spent all this time thinking of her that hadn't slept all night... His mind was far too busy for that anyway. He didn't know what made him let her off last night. She was wet behind the ears, very nervous, but she wanted it.

Why he'd given up so quickly when she asked him to let her be. She had come to him, yet she withdrew, even though she was taking as much out of it as much as he had. It wasn't in his nature back down, yet he benevolently did just that. He wanted her now... On some level she knew. It might have only been the rouse of lust, but no one had ever carried such a unique allure to them. It had been years since he'd been so curious about anything. The longer he looked, and the more he watched, the more he was drawn in.

Shaking his head fiercely, he looked back at her face, which was indifferent. There was no negativity there, unlike before. She looked at him with suspicion in her eyes or hostility, and it made him feel strange... vexed. Usually, he wouldn't care in the fact that the very mention of my name would cause another feelings of dread.

She had only been here less than three days, and she already made an impression. Her face was... He didn't know why he hadn't seen it before. But now that he had it... it was frustrating... to have to her so close.

The end of her tail lashed in a tardy sway as if she was excited by something. He brought his paw towards her cheek, but he did not touch her. Looking at her more closely, he saw her lips spread into a smile. He felt his belly knot up, though not in a bad way. It was the feeling that came with the most sensual of sights.

He could hear her purr. He almost flinched when he noticed. She was dreaming, but of what? Perhaps of home or her friends? Or maybe hidden desires. He snapped his head down. He felt uneasy, yet a part of him... wondered.

He scowled... He was Tai Lung.

He remembered her... twenty years before. A child. Shifu brought her home one night. She had arrived little more than a fortnight before he'd toppled the valley. He never actually spoke to her, but he still remembered. Did she? Unlikely, she was so young.

He closed his eyes, allowing himself to drift off.

* * *

 Sleep was something that never came easy.

Tigress blinked rapidly. Leaning up, she stretched her limbs as far as she could. She felt a lot better than she did yesterday. She wasn't fatigued, and her pain was almost totally gone. She felt a new resolve- in fact, she was ready for anything.

She looked around the room. No one was here. Wait. Getting off the bed, she saw Tai Lung sat in a chair sleeping just a few feet from her... or at least, he seemed to be. Tilting her head, she watched him cautiously, wondering just how lightly he slept. He was slouched forward slightly, and he had a troubled look on his face. Walking up to him, she leaned down far enough so that she could get a look at his face. She knitted her brow. His face was contorted in sadness, and... even fear? His eyes seemed to shift around even though they were closed. He was in very deep. Definitely not a side of Tai Lung she thought could be real, but then again he had expressed a side of himself last night that she couldn't even begin to get her head around.

It was blurred really. She couldn't recall it in total vividness. But she could recall how his lips pressed against hers, where his hands went. She frowned tensely. Just the sight of him now forced her to feel unsettled. She couldn't fully comprehend how they managed to end up kissing, but Tai Lung, being who he was, wanted more. She didn't know how she had gotten into that position... with him. She thought he'd simply ignore her plea, and to take her right there. But he stopped.

She acknowledged that Tai Lung had more depth than she give him credit for. But of course it didn't change his fundamental character. He was evil, it was a side of him that had been real since before he'd committed his crimes. The dark, cruel side that Master Oogway had seen in him. In spite of what she'd seen, she knew what she had witnessed so far was nowhere close to what he truly capable of. Yes, he clearly was toying with her. The... the things he'd said were meant to hurt her; but how could he spoken of such things, as though he knew her. Nobody knew...

She was probably delusional, but behind his igneous eyes their had been emotions that alien for someone as unfeeling as he. She felt so daunted, almost outside her own head when he bore into her... It obvious that her perspective had been tainted by weariness. He was toying with her, it was obvious. Whether he was heartless or not didn't matter, he was not a good person. She looked away from him. There was truth to every story, whether it be small or large, and everything she had be told painted him as the worst.

Naturally Shifu never brought it up, and she never directly asked him about it. She didn't dare. It had all come from the valley's citizens. Almost everyone had woefully described him as a beast that should have been vanquished the moment Master Oogway had stopped him. But few others quietly reminisced that he had always been unquestionably polite, especially to the little people. When she asked for more, they shut her down or simply told her to ask her master. She never did.

In an unconscious fashion, she placed her paw on his cheek and felt his strong face. He had a cold sweat. Right now would have been the perfect opportunity to attack, find a weapon, make a move... and take advantage of his current state. Instead she pushed his head back, meticulously gentle, so that he wasn't jostled awake. Now his posture allowed her to see his face unobstructed. She didn't know why she did it, but found that she just did.

He appeared to be having a nightmare. Did he have many? Probably. No one could go through all of the things he had without taking scars. She did not take any amusement in see his vulnerability, only a a morose feeling. His story's beginning had been almost a replica of her own, or the other way around as it were... She didn't need to wonder if his nightmare was based off a past experience. She probably knew exactly what it was.

She was about to pull her paw away, but all in one moment, Tai Lung's paw latched on to her wrist and she was pulled into his lap. His burly arms snaked around her. She looked at his face and saw his eyes closed. She seized up. He was still dreaming. He unsheathed his claws in an aggressive motion and pulled her as close as possible. Then, strangely, he seemed to become more docile, and inhaled as if he had picked up on something. She was ready to scream, shout, and hit him to wake him up, but before she could do any of that, Tai Lung's lips were on hers.

He drunkenly mashed his muzzle on hers and clamped his paw on her neck, pressing her mouth almost furiously against his. The kiss was deep and violent, forcing out a moan, in protest. She was reeling... unable to find the bearings to resist. Groaning, she felt one of Tai Lung's paws grip her shirt and pull it up her back. The other held her between her shoulders. She blushed madly, and tried to push away, but Tai Lung's arms were chiselled like steel. She was strong, but he was immovable. Before she could make another attempt, he released her mouth and began breathing down her throat, making her stifle a whimper.

Tai Lung relented and pressed his forehead against her cheek. Then she heard him speak. "Hahh... You can't be here." His voice was hoarse and ragged with desperation.

"Tai Lung," she whispered breathlessly, her eyes half closed. She slumped against him. Her resistance seemed to encourage the snow Leopard.

"They won't let go. If you stay, they won't let you go either..." Tai Lung's voice was... broken and filled with despair. She might have noticed that she felt sympathetic, but all thoughts, including those of getting away from him, were forgotten for now. What made him so afraid?

"Don't leave me here," Tai Lung pleaded, crushing her body against his in an embrace filled with so much need.

She had to stop this before he got worse... If she didn't he may actually harm her. She stroked the back of head and whispered into his ear. "Shh... I'm not going to leave you." She didn't know why she said that; it was just the first thing that came out. But Tai Lung seemed to calm down. Pulling her into his chest, he laid back in his chair with her set on his lap. She sighed, forgoing any resistance and deciding that it was wiser to simply stay put and not risk finding herself getting more than rough treatment.

Laying her head under his, she went through the all the event leading up to now. Not only was she his prisoner, but they had been intimate, even sharing what had appeared to be a moment... with him- Tai Lung, of all people!

She had allowed him to kiss her once. Then she had kissed him. And now what just happened? Why did she do it? She should have let him be. That he had done these things to her made her feel weak. Before him, she had never looked at any other man in a romantic way, let alone kiss one.

She thought she wasn't ready for anything, but what just happened said otherwise. Closing her eyes, she knew she wouldn't be going anywhere if Tai Lung any had say in it. Which he did. A BIG say in it.

* * *

 21 Years Ago

Shifu strode up the Jade Palace temple stairs at a brisk pace. He had spent a long while at the Bao Gu Orphanage in order to train it's most troubled resident. They had been travelling all day and had just made it back to the valley in the evening. Behind him, a little tiger cub― probably no older than six― followed. The child looked around in delighted interest at what now was her new home. She was too taken in by her new surrounds to notice that she was about to-

"Ow!" -Hit her head on a pillar. She clutched her head, rubbing it roughly.

Shifu touted, but smiled at her. She may have control over her vast strength, but there was still room for improving her coordination― something he would remedy. "Come along now, we're almost there." Turning, he continued on with her following right behind.

They eventually reached the top, then Tigress saw what looked to be a biggest house she had ever seen! It was the bigger than anything house she'd seen in her entire life, even though she was only a kid. The temple had her in awe. Shifu opened the doors, and light seeped out. Shifu motioned for her to go in, so she did.

Tigress stared in wonder at the display in front of her: some kind of obstacle course filled with countless dangerous traps. Snakes coiled and spinning where you the floor was supposed to be, making it hard― almost impossible― to keep balance! Spiked rings and clubs chained to the ceiling, swinging across the opened hall, threatening to batter anyone in their way! Fire shot out from the floor to scorch whoever were to attempted to traverse it! And at the end were hordes of― well, she didn't know what they were called, but they looked like large wooden dummies with spiky arms protruding out of them. She wondered how anyone was suppose to go in to all those traps and come out with without getting hurt.

Shifu noticed the curiosity on her face as she looked wide-eyed at the Training Hall. It reminded him of Tai Lung when he was just a cub.

"Well now, it isn't every day we see a new face here," a serenely wise voice spoke next to her.

"Master Oogway," Shifu greeted his master, bowing respectfully.

Tigress didn't even look at them as she spoke. She was too fascinate by what she saw. "How can someone go in that and come out alive?" she asked absently, not realizing she had spoken it aloud.

Shifu cleared his throat, getting her attention. "Tigress! This is Master Oogway. You remember me mentioning him." Tigress looked to her left and saw an infinitely old turtle standing there. He had a monk's robe around his shell and carried a worn looking stick. He merely smiled down at her with a contented fondness only the most sagacious of men could exude. She did remember Shifu saying that he was the grandmaster of the Jade Palace.

Like Master Shifu had taught her, she bowed quickly, trying her best to show respect. Oogway merely continued smiling. He bent down slightly to get a closer look at her. "So you are young one Shifu has been praising so fondly." Tigress shifted on her heels meekly.

"Yes, master. We have just returned," Shifu said to Master Oogway.

Oogway turned back to Shifu. "I hope your trip home was an enjoyable one?" Tigress as though he was asking her more than Master Shifu, but it was Shifu who answered, so she didn't say anything. The two Masters seemed caught up in their banter, so Tigress went back to watching the contraptions in motion.

As she watched, she noticed movement in the corner of her eye. Looking towards it, she focused... and gasped. Someone was in there! But her fright soon turned into marvel as she saw the person move with speed that was too incredible to process. It was a silver blur in the field of dummies and was ploughing right through anything that spun to attack him. Dodging, breaking, and ducking, he looked almost like he was dancing through the course, as if performing pure brilliance. He leapt on to the surface with the shooting fire. She could now see that the person was in fact a snow Leopard. Her distress returned as fire burst out, but wondrously it seemed to stray way, avoiding him instead of charring him― as if afraid. But it did not frighten her. She was mesmerized by the way he moved; it was amazing.

The snow leopard traversed the rest of the course and didn't look like he was even trying. When he'd finished, he walked off to the side. Causally, he drew a towel and wiped the sweat off his head in way that said he just finished some routine exercise.

Tigress watched him recognise Master Shifu, who had noticed him as well. Both of them seemed to brighten as they bowed to each other. Then the snow leopard turned his gaze on her. She couldn't read his expression, but in his golden eyes as he transfixed them on her, she saw a severity, an invisible force. The intensity of his stare would have made someone else want to flinch away, but she was too captivated by him to look away. He seemed to look right into her as if in-goading for her reaction, but she simply stared back, completely entranced.

He was staring at her so oddly. She wondered why he looked at her that way, but she would probably never find out.

* * *

 Present

Tai Lung's nightmares were always situationally diverse. There were so many events he had in his closet, but at it's core every nightmare was the same. After breaking out of prison, he had been suffering from dreams of his confinement, or... events before; all the things he refused to think about. It wasn't that he couldn't block out memories, he could, though it didn't stop it all from haunting him in his dreams. It was the one place he had yet to master, he probably never would, and he hated it. He had inklings as to why he was suffering this way... but he was no mind doctor. All he knew was that it was a weakness. A lasting reminder of the suffering and helplessness he'd endured. It was a constant oppression... it seemed to have no ending. If he closed his eyes he could almost see it... the doors of his cage shutting... the light fadin- He shuddered.

This time, it had been different somehow. The dream had initially been like most others, but then a was new element made itself known. He had to heard something, or something had reached out to him.

He was now lucid enough to realise the weight pressing down on him. He opened his eyes, he was taken aback by the sight of his captive, who was secured loosely in his arms.

He instinctively had an idea as to what had happened while he while he was out. There has been times where he had woken in very... odd circumstances after some nights. Yawning deeply, he felt her jump in surprise; she must have dozed off while he had... grabbed her. She looked straight at him with an alarmed expression on her face.

"I'm out for five minutes, and this is what you do? Really, I never realized you that kind of person. Shame on you." He knew that it must have been him who forced her into this position.

She stared at him in confusion, and perhaps a little disappointment. "You don't remember?"

He could have told her the truth, but that wasn't going to happen, so he resorted to what was easy and simply. "All I see is you curled up on me while I sleep."

Tigress scowled. "You were the one who couldn't stop touching me in your sleep," She mimicked his tone.

He laughed. "So you're telling me that I was feeling you up while I counted sheep?" She blush. Luckily, Tai Lung said nothing else on the subject. She became mad at herself this time. He kept catching her off guard, and just before he hadn't even been awake. Since he had taken her away on his ship, she had been a step behind him, and it made her feel like a fool. Yes, he was Tai Lung, but she was Tigress, leader of the Furious Five! She should have been better than this.

Tai Lung watched her face change as she went through whatever thoughts were in her head. "Tell me what you're thinking," he whispered in her ear. He drew one of his claws and stroked under her chin. She shivered and suddenly remembered how close to him she was and became tense. Tai Lung was fully aware of how she was feeling, and it only increased his desire to remove her reservations.

Ignoring the odd feeling she was having, she gave him a questioning look. "What were you dreaming?" She felt almost desperate to know what could cause such reaction in the snow Leopard, and surprisingly she asked not out a desire to use his weakness but out a pure curiosity. His mood shifted, and he looked away. Did she detect a glint of discomfort? He was hiding something; it was as plain as day.

"It's nothing," he muttered, looking unconcerned, but she saw through it.

"You're lying," she accused.

Could she not just leave it be. "What if I am? What business is it of yours?" he said harshly, a little more than he meant to.

"It is my business when you speak to me in dreams," she retorted bravely. He called out to her, warned her. That obviously meant something.

Tai Lung faltered. He'd spoken to her... He suddenly felt disturbed. Had he given away anything important? No... He couldn't have, she would have mentioned it when asking.

He sighed warily. "Just forget it."

She knew she wouldn't get anything out him, so she refrained from asking again.

He rubbed her arm. "You really should get up now. I'm finding it more and more difficult to restrain myself. Having you so close gives me the overwhelming urge to take off your clothes." She gaped at his bluntness, then moved off him as fast as possible. He knew that would work, and was he pleased he'd gotten out of that conversation. He got up, and stretched slightly. "I will have someone bring food. You can explore if want, just make sure you don't cause any damage."

"What would make you think I would cause damage?" She was aware he could be treating her much worse, but if she had just cause to do something violent to those on his ship then so be it.

"You can't injury my sailors, you know... Don't damage them if they do anything stupid."

She understood, but couldn't help feeling insulted. "If they decide to try anything, I won't be responsible for my actions," she said hotly.

He shrugged at her. "They are depraved, grown men with poor self-control; they can't help it."

She scoffed and muttered her annoyance. Tai Lung said nothing further; he simply left. She watched him until he closed the door, then sighed.

She turned her thoughts on how some of the crewmen had glowered pervertedly at her before. If they tried anything, she'd make them regret it.

But for now it was time to get better acquainted with her surroundings. With the ship being so big and all.

It was hot and breezy, in other words the perfect weather. He was glad to finally be away from China. While he had planned ahead, and knew where he was going, there was a new dilemma. Tigress. He had no need to worry; the answers usually came to him in time.

He might have been hasty in his decision not to send her off with the rest of Shifu's students, but he couldn't help but ponder the what-ifs. He turned his thoughts to Shifu's retaliation. After all, she was Shifu's prize student... not mention that former Master now knew he was still alive. Shifu would act immediately, but it wouldn't do much good if he had no idea where to find him. It would be a chase, which Shifu would lose.

As he walked by, he heard some of the crew talking. He wasn't really listening, but his ears picked up mention of Tigress' name. At the sound of her name he turned his attention to them. He saw a rather large burly bull speaking loudly to a pair of dogs. Moving closer, he confirmed that they were talking about her. "I don't know why the captain is keeping her around. She's just useless baggage," one of the dogs exclaimed. Both nodded in agreement.

The bull spoke in a thick accent. "He's prob'ly feelin' randy. I bet 'e think she'll be good under the sheets." They all laughed at that. It made him frown.

"Although I see why the capt'n likes her. I may be a bull, but I would definitely go down on 'er, heh, heh," he said huskily. Tai Lung glared coldly at the bull. So they were already thinking about that, eh? It made his blood boil. His growl increased in volume so that they could hear him. Turning to him, they gaped. They all knew they were in deep-

Tigress hadn't left the room yet. While she knew she would have to do so eventually, she was looking for excuses not to, mainly to avoid being near Tai Lung. So she just ended up poking through the snow Leopard's things. She wondered if the others had made it back to the valley by now, and how Master Shifu would react. If she was totally honest, it wasn't something she envied the others for. Though he'd probably be easy on them than her.

It was an inevitability in her eyes, and suddenly the idea of staying with Tai Lung was a smidgen less unattractive... She shook her head sharply. That was a ridiculously thought.

Looking to the far side of the room, she eyed a large cabinet, and with a passive curiosity she wished to know what was inside. She didn't take Tai Lung for someone who would own lots of clothes. It sounded dumb in her head, but she didn't know him so how would she know whether or not he had a vast wardrobe.

The first thing she saw when she opened it was weapons― lots of weapons― which... didn't surprise her. Tai Lung having a wardrobe filled with instruments of death just seemed too fitting. They were all exotic in appearance and each different from the other; some of them she couldn't even identify. Picking up on one of them, she gripped the handle of strange looking device. It looked like a miniaturized mortar of some kind. It almost looked akin to the weapon Shen had used against them. She wondered how it worked. It seemed to have a trigger like a crossbow, only it was smaller and curved for a finger. There was also a second trigger on top. She pulled it back, and it clicked. She waited for it to do something, but nothing happened. That was it? A click? Perhaps she was missing something, but she had no idea how it worked.

Placing it back, she took notice to a sword perched as the center piece of all the strange weapons. The hilt was a glossy, charcoal with black intertwining around one another. The guard was a foot in length with numerous stones embedded into it, giving an ornate and incredibly elegant appearance. The blade itself was also gray. It was curved up to the tip. Despite the dusky colour of the steel, it glistened perfectly, giving a slight glow. It was beautiful. Lesser in width than the Sword of Heroes, but was a bit longer.

She lifted it slowly. The sword wasn't too heavy despite its size, nor too light. The blade hummed lightly as it swished. She wondered how Tai Lung had acquired such an exquisite weapon. She swung the blade, and the hum loudened into an almost melodic noise. The sword had an overbearing pulse radiating from it. She could almost feel the presence within scream to her. She frowned at it. Her senses told her to leave it alone, so that was what she did.

She finished her examination and placed it back on its perch, then closed the cabinet. She supposed it was time to look around elsewhere.

Tigress finally left the cabin. She winced as the light of a bright and sunny day hit her eyes.

Stepping out on deck, she expected the crew to be going about their jobs, and though she could hear people she couldn't see many where she was standing. Knitting her brow, she walked down the steps leading to the center mast, hearing loud voices on the other side. Walking around, she saw many crew members grouped together.

She tried looking over them, but most were taller than she was, so she resorted to pushing her way through them instead. It was Tai Lung. He held in his hands a bulky looking crossbow, and even though he wasn't aiming it at anyone, his eyes were fixed on a section of the mast he was blocking with his back. Walking past him, she saw a large bull with petrified expression on his face. Hong stood next to the snow Leopard with a blank look, not giving away his feelings. Some of the crew watched in amusement, others in wariness; but most looked completely indifferent.

"Pl-Please, captain. I-I didn't mean to upset you," the bull stuttered pathetically. She saw Tai Lung smirk, and how close the bull was to wetting himself.

"Humph. Well you should have thought about that before you opened that mouth," Tai Lung drawled cruelly. Some of the crewmen shook their heads. The bull clearly had never witnessed the captain upset.

Tigress narrowed her eyes. She couldn't let this happen. "Stop."

He frowned. "Why should I? I am the captain of this ship, and I will punish my underlings in the manner I see fit." He then turn to look at her.

She scoffed. "Killing a man for saying something that's gets to you is hardly fair― or at least, one would think."

Tai Lung's expression did not change. "I never said I was punishing him for what he said. I am punishing him because his conduct as member of this crew displeases me." ...As though it was taboo for him to be upset. "Why do you care? You don't even know what he said."

"It doesn't matter. It's still wrong." He was a hypocritical, warning her not to hurt these men, and yet he was about to kill one of them anyway.

Tai Lung laughed wryly. "Wrong you say? If you care so much, why don't we find a way to settle this fairly?"

Tigress eyed him warily at him. "What do you have in mind?"

Tai Lung turned his attention to the crowd. "XIAODAN!" he barked, and right on queue, the little cub appeared out from under the crowd of legs. Running up to Tai Lung, he looked up at him expectantly... while Tigress watched cautiously. Tai Lung smiled at the cub and then walked up towards the bull whimpering against the mast. He reached into his back pocket pulled out an apple, then placed it on the bull's head. With a look he forced the bull to cease his shaking be still.

Walking back to Xiaodan, he placed the crossbow in the cub's paws. He stumbled, almost falling from the weight, but managed to keep himself and the weapon upright. Tai Lung placed his paw on the cub's shoulder and pointed at the bull. "See if you can hit that apple for me, will you?"

At first, he looked uncertain, but then a look of determination appeared on the cub's face. "Alright." The child seemed oblivious to the potential consequences.

"Good lad," Tai Lung said approvingly.

Tigress shook her head. She couldn't watch this anymore. "What do you think you're doing?"

Tai Lung regarded her without much care. "I think this is a good compromise. Instead of killing him, leave it to chance," he said loudly enough so that the bull could hear.

"What? By making a child do it?" she shouted in anger.

He frowned again. "Trust me. If it was my way, he'd be dead already. Besides, there's no guarantee he'll hit him."

"You think that's justified? You can't make a child do this!" Tigress wondered if he had lost his mind. What if the child did kill the bull? She knew from the clear innocence in his eyes that he had never killed or even seen someone be killed, and she had no doubt Tai Lung already knew this.

"That's tough, 'cause I am."

Tigress looked at him, scandalized. "You think you're so much better than everyone else, don't you?"

Tai Lung smirked. "I don't think I'm better, Tigress. That would be everyone else," he said matter-of-factly.

She growled and cursed him. "You bastard," she said venomously. Did he not know the meaning of humility?

Tai Lung put his hand on his heart, feigning hurt. "You wound me," he retorted dryly.

The crew observed the pair go back and forth. Even Hong stared in fascination. The bull had seemingly been forgotten.

Then their argument was brought to a swift end as they heard the whistle of the crossbow firing. Tigress and Tai Lung both turn the Xiaodan, who had fallen over from the force behind the shot. He got up, staring wide-eyed at the aftermath of the shot. The two of them turned to the bull and saw the liquid seep down his head. He'd hit the apple. Everyone gawked. "Wow," someone in the crowd whispered loudly. Tai Lung look almost awed. He turned back to Xiaodan, who gave him a toothy grin. The crew waited in silence. Tai Lung's amazement slowly melted away, and he grinned back. "That was very good."

Everyone cheered.

The cub brightened even more at this, but soon began to look embarrassed at the attention. Tai Lung turned to the bull and scowled. "Seems you'll live to talk another day, whelp. "Take him to the brig." Then two boars proceeded to drag him off. Tigress couldn't get her head around what just happened. Thoughtlessly, her eyes were drawn the crossbow bolt, which had miraculously not pierced the mast, but instead flung to ground after hitting the apple. She went to pick it up. The head was a single large ball bearing... there no way it could have broken flesh. She frowned. He must have known. What on earth was he playing at?

The crew broke off and went back to work. Tai Lung turned to his captive. "That concludes that then."

Tigress felt overwhelmed. If this was what a normal day here was like, then she shuddered to think what an odd day would be like.

Her captor looked as if he had just remembered something. "I still haven't told you where we're heading, have I?"


	5. Word of honour

She was, to put it lightly, overwhelmed. "Singapore?"

"Mm," he replied curtly.

Tigress gave in to the shock. She hadn't really taken any time to put things into perspective, but now she had no choice...

She had no idea they had travelled so far from home in such a short time. It was... too much to take in. To be honest, she thought that they were still bordering China, at the very least. But it seemed Tai Lung wasn't making any stops, which in turn meant that the others would have no clue as to where she was being taken. This also meant she could not escape, since she'd had never been beyond China. In fact, she had never set foot on any foreign lands before. Singapore was on the very tip of South Asia, and very far from China itself. Not that such a distance made a difference. She had still never been there, which meant she couldn't navigate her way back if she were to escape.

She spluttered for right words, but all she could do was state that which was obvious. "But that's hundreds of miles from China!"

Tai Lung nodded and smirked at her reaction. "You know your geography. Very good," he said in faked flattery.

She should have gotten used to his mocking by now, but she was so far from amused by his manner... Centering herself enough to process what she had been told, she considered it wise to ask a few questions. "When will we get there?"

"Sometime in the early morning, if the wind is on our side." His side, not her's... She looked around. It was bright and breezy.

"And why would we be going to Singapore?" She didn't bother to hide her irritation.

Tai Lung noticed her frown and avoid the temptation to tell that it would give her wrinkles. "Mainly to restock, however, I am now forced to rid myself of some worthless subordinates too."His tone altered somewhat when he referred to the one she knew to be the large Bull he had made a show of a few moments ago. Despite what she believed him to be, he seemed not kill without with a cause... Regardless, he was getting rid that man so it must have been something that really bothered him.

Before she could ask, he carried on talking, though his voice had lightened considerably. "I also have a friend or two in that area, and I will be paying a visit."

This made her curious. Tai Lung didn't seem like the type who had friends... not like she would know. She wondered the type of character one would be? If she was purely going off his reputation, then she would guess that they were dangerous people. "A friend?"

He gave her an odd look. "That's right."

She waited for him to elaborate further, but it didn't look like that was going to happen. She narrowed her eyes. "Not answering any questions then?" She was getting tired of pretending like she wasn't trying to get information. He somehow dodged giving her any real information with ease. He must have been on to her...

He repressed a groan; she was far too uptight. "Oh, you have questions? Perhaps you shouldn't veil what you want to ask." He'd admit it was fun pushing her buttons, but he wasn't against to telling anything really. She had no power over her fate under his care, and she letting out her anger on him because she had no other way of expressing the distress of her situation. He knew first hand that it was unhealthy to keep such negativity held inward, but he had his own ways of dealing with such things.

She sighed crossly. "You didn't give me the chance."

Tai Lung stared for a moment, then shrugged. "Ask me what you want then."

First, "When are you going to let me go?" He wondered when this would come up, and to be honest, he had no idea. It would sometime before he would return to China... if at all. He wouldn't let her make her own way back; he'd already decided on that. She was simply stuck with him.

"I don't know. Perhaps in a few days or months, maybe even years."

"What?" Years? She could just about tolerate a few weeks, maybe a month... or two if she had too. But staying as Tai Lung's prisoner for years? The level of shame the thought alone brought her... She couldn't do it. She had her duty to China to, to her friends and to her master. The valley needed her protection, and the rest of the Five needed her to lead them. If she was stuck here, then who knew what could happen... "I can't stay."

"I don't think I gave you a choice if I recall." Sharp were his eyes; she quickly looked away.

It was foolish to think he'd just let her walk away, but still, she attempted to argue with him. "I'm needed back in China."

Tai Lung scoffed at this. She was stubborn... Even now the thought of her responsibilities. "China was no different than before you were born; it will still be China long after you're gone. Besides, you should be more concern with your own situation." His reasoning was sound... or would have been to anyone but her. She never took any reprieve from her duties, but it did nothing to change her mind. She was duty bound. Her mind was set.

"I'm not talking about the land, I'm talking about the people. They need me."

He scowled. "The people, is it? I think they'll do fine without you. After all, they got along just fine after I was buried the mountains." Eventually, all his stories of heroism had been totally expelled some years after he'd been placed in Chorh Gom. They had either been forgotten or altered drastically to a degree that painted the role of a reprobate who sought to gain only for himself. He could see that this was at the beginning of was turning this into something circular so he decided to change the subject. "Have you seen the whole of the ship yet?" Wasn't the best he could come up with, but it seemed to work.

She blinked in confusion, wondering why he even asked. She might have by now... but after getting on deck, her attention had been drawn elsewhere. She frowned at him. "No, your earlier ostentatious performance distracted me." She was still a little uneasy after witnessing what happened, but she had to admit the little lion left an impression. Despite Tai Lung altering the bolt to ensure nothing awful occurred, Xiaodan's shot was accurate. It was definitely luck. Even Tai Lung didn't know he'd hit the apple.

"Then I'll show you myself."

Tigress aired indifference, but her gut told her to be on her guard. It wasn't that he would harm her― which also frightened her― but his proximity, hostile or no. The contact he made with her when he had been sleeping or the first time he kissed her. Each time he felt her, it was more intimate than the last. She feared the vulnerability she felt when he...

She forced back a shiver. She couldn't understand it.

"Something on your mind?" his deep voice rumbled. Tigress looked at him, and he smirked. At the look on his face, she guessed that on some level he must have sensed the type of thoughts she was having, but she pretended not to notice.

"No, shall we go?" He stared at her a moment. His smirk did not fade, even as he turned and motioned for her to follow.

The tour had been fairly concise though not uninteresting. Tigress found herself asking him a few questions about how things worked on the ship, like the helm and rudders. Tai Lung found it surprising she had a curiosity for it, but it was, at least, a pleasant surprise. By the end, she knew where everything was, from the galley to the brig. Currently, they were below deck in the store, which had almost no light apart from a few dim lamps. It appeared to be a somewhat empty at the moment.

"What are you looking for?" she questioned as he browsed through an empty bottle rack.

"The... Lǎng mǔ jiǔ," he answered while he searched.

"What's that?" She had no idea what it was besides that it was a drink.

He began to explain. "It's alcohol. Very strong. An acquired taste I've found, but those that don't like it find it vile. The crew seems to love it, so I usually keep a generous supply down here." At the moment, that wasn't the case.

She had never been one to drink, but she knew it did nothing beneficial based on observation. It only served to turn people senseless and corrupt them to poor choices. Shifu had forbidden alcohol consumption for all his student, apart from special occasions, and he was especially adamant with her about it. Not that she would have ever taken to such a poor habit. "Why?"

"For some reason, it keeps morale high... It can make even the laziest or most useless sailor transformer into a jack of all trades, that's the word at least." She very much doubted that, but it remained to be seen. If such a thing was true she'd have to be impressed.

"Any proof?" she asked.

"I've seen that the crew is generally less competent when without it, so I keep it down here and ration it out. Well, I would usually have it, but I can't find any." He stopped searching. There seemed to none. "Oh well. The crew will have to wait until we make port." It was a shame. It worked well in keeping everyone reined in. He'd just have resort to force if they needed a little nudging...

"Well, I think you've seen everything now."

He turned to her and caught her gazing at him. When their eyes met, she looked down at her feet swiftly. Was she shy? She shouldn't be. He'd done a little bit more than look at her for her to be shy about... Unless it was because of what happened between them before. He could have laughed out loud; kissing her was the very least he could do... If she shied from mere semi-contact with him, then she could hardly begin to imagine the real depths of what he could do to induce her shyness. A dark look arose in his eyes. "Let's go.

Tigress walked towards the door, with Tai Lung following behind her inaudibly. She reached out for the handle, but at the moment she touched it, she was spun around fast. She felt Tai Lung's large chest pressed into her own and pin her against it. She narrowed her eyes, irritated, but not able to formulate a thought. As she attempted to move all she ended up doing was pushing herself nearer to him. He smiled fiendishly. She began to panic. "What do you think you're doing?"

He didn't answer. She caught a dark glint in his eye as he looked down at her. The usually brilliant gold had dimmed and had a shadow encircling it. The same shadow laminated his eyes before... when she'd insulted him. Something had changed, and it was something petrifying. She had no time to ponder it further as Tai Lung's mouth pushed into her own. Her eyes widened in alarm. She put her hands on his shoulders and tried pushing him off, but with an ease that shamed her, he retaliated by grabbing both her wrists and pinning them above her head. She moaned into his mouth, trying voice her protest, but that had been a mistake because the moment her lips parted his tongue found it's way inside.

She steeled herself and forced her mouth off his. She turned her head away quickly. This did nothing to stop him; he began planting slow kisses down her neck. Her words came out in whimpers as his muzzle trailed down her throat, dragging his fangs down her neck. "S―Stop...!" He took one of his hands from her wrists and placed it behind her neck, forcing her closer to his mouth. He could feel her voice vibrate through her into him while he was kissed her. He did not stop. She tried to force her wrists out of his grip, but he only tighten his grip and seemed to be encouraged to continue. "... Don't."

He held her tight in one hand while his free hand roamed up her rib cage. And that was when she felt it. His hand grasped her breast softly, and a ragged moan slipped out. She had no idea where it came from, but what she was experiencing was completely new to her. Her eyes moved to his hand, and she watched him hold it softly... What was even more confusing was how she could be taking any titillation from him doing this. Her lips quivered. Her control was slipping... she knew this because her body seemed to take on a mind of its own... and decided suddenly that what he doing was somehow sufferable. Could this be what she was afraid of?

She was starting to forget herself and she ceased moving. He took clear joy in kneading her through her shirt, but his wasn't enough. His other paw released both her wrists and her arms fell limply at her sides. Why did she feel so weak? Her knees wobbled... She shook her head.

She wasn't weak; she could free herself. "Tai... Lung!" She brought her arms up again and started pushing at him. But he did not give her the chance to muster a decent protest. With his other hand free, he moved it lower until he had reached her pants. He placed his hand between her legs, then began caressing her gently through the material. Her mouth open, after a second delay, a deep groan ripped out of her mouth. This untrodden sensation, what was it? And why did she respond to it in such a way when he was touching her there? Her mind couldn't grasp it, but it was so good...

No! She couldn't let this go on. In one more attempt, she tried to push her way out, using all the strength she could find. With her arms pressed behind her, she thrashed her pelvis. But instead, ended up pressing her hips into his, causing her to feel something hard press between her legs― enhancing how strong the sensations felt. She looked into his usually shining eyes with fear. They seemed more profound, darker. A deep void represented his pupils, revealing everything to her. This was the real Tai Lung. He took her yearned face in, and she took in his eyes, utterly enamored by them. She could not bring herself to put a stop to this... She was unable to rouse the desire to.

His hand untucked her shirt and pushed under it. He moved up until he could feel her soft breast properly against his paw. He reveled inside. Her eyes quivered, and she breathed out in heavy pants as he assaulted her neck with soft bites. He took her nipple between his fingers and began more tender play. She bit out a gasp as she still tried to fight against it, but it was a failing effort.

They looked each other in the eyes. At first, she would have looked away out of pure embarrassment, but when she stared in his own golden pair, she began to realise how possessively he was watching her. She swallowed heavily at the sight. It was as if he would eat her up at any moment, and felt that if she were to look away even for even a slight moment, she would perish.

He pulled her shirt half way up, giving him a view of her toned stomach and the bottom swell of her breasts. His hand was already around one of them, whilst his other hand was between her legs, still on the outside. He stroked, jolting her, and causing Tigress to yelp out his name again― only this time, it was not in protest. His hips pressed into hers and his mouth moved on to her own, making her head bang against the door. She felt his tongue move inside her mouth, caressing hungrily.

She was completely flushed. Her cheeks were almost glowing in the dark room. Her face was contorted in a need for this to go further, but in her eyes was a strong denial of the fact that she was taking any pleasure out of this. There was some part of her that still wanted this to stop. It made him growl.

He was about to slip his hand into her pants when― Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Hello, Captain?" Tigress gasped, regaining her senses. Her eyes were wide with shock, but she dared not move. Tai Lung snapped his head towards the door and scowled as if he could see right through it. He didn't move for a moment, contemplating the situation. And then, suddenly, he released her. Pulling her shirt down, she was quick to move away from him, which annoyed Tai Lung slightly.

Opening the door quickly, he sneered at them. It was the two mongrels that had shared banter with the bull earlier on. The red dog began to speak. "Captain," he chuckled nervously. "We just wan' id t' say sorry for what ap' end with what we said about the young lady."

The black dog nodded in agreement. "And we also want you to know that we said nothing in the same subject about her as... he did." Tai Lung seethed. Being proactive wouldn't help them. To be honest, he'd not really considered either of them when he'd overheard the conversation. The longer he thought about it, the more angered he was by their presence. His throat rumbled; it was a display of how rapidly his rage was growing. He didn't give damn why they had interrupted...

They glanced at each other, wide-eyed. They knew they'd upset him again, which was the opposite of what they were trying to do. "WE'RE SORRY!"

Oddly, Tai Lung seemed to calm. "You two... your names?"

They looked at one another in confusion. "Dai." "Dan."

He placed his hands on their shoulders and spoke quietly. "Well," His grip on their shoulders tightened, making them flinch. "If you value your fickle tongues, then I suggest you get the out my sight. Now!" And with that, they ran off. Idiots. He would deal with them when he was good and ready; right now he didn't even wan to see them. He sighed in consternation.

Tigress gathered enough bearings to listen to his short talk with them and managed to make sense of what they were talking about but decided act as though she wasn't aware. "What were they talking about?" He had almost forgotten she was there.

Tai Lung wasn't fooled, though, he was more fascinated by the fact that she was attempting to speak to him after what had just happened. He did not turn to her. "You know exactly what they were talking."

"So... that's why you were angry? Because of what he said was about me," He side-glanced and noticed emotions flicker behind her red eyes but he couldn't pick up on what they were. Tigress didn't know what to make of it; Why would he care? What did he want from her? The fact that he had acted in the way he did because of her filled the smaller feline with so many different emotions, she couldn't keep up with them. She didn't understand... had to ask. She actually felt

She had to ask out of curiosity. She actually felt grateful towards them; they had indirectly stopped― or postponed― what he was going to do to her. "What did he say about me?"

He frowned, still not answering, then he opened the door and motioned her to go through. Initially, she hesitated, but then rushed past him, making her unease all too obvious.

They had returned to his cabin without a word. She had her back to him, but could hear him quietly close the door. Then he began making his way towards her. She swallowed the fear that refused to completely go away as he came closer to her. She found herself frozen, unable to move because of it. His arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her against him, then moved to kiss her neck. She placed her hand on his arm and tried to move away. He sighed loudly, making his annoyance known.

"Why resist when I can make you feel such pleasure," he whispered in her ear.

"I don't want that," she claimed shakily. Her voice strained not to break. She still resisted, which annoyed him. He could practically smell that she wanted it, but she carried her inhibitions steadfast that made her refuse.

Tai Lung scowled at her back. Why should he listen to her? She'd flag if he tantalised her enough― in fact, why hadn't he done so before? He wanted her, and he wanted her right now... His dark train of thought continued and his hands move further down, then he felt her stiffen. Tai Lung looked at her face, seeing the fear she was trying desperately to hide, yet failing miserably. He was scaring her. He didn't want her to be scared... Making himself stop, he removed his hands from her. Almost forcefully, Tai Lung away from her.

His eyes were set on the ground thoughtfully. "You're afraid." It wasn't a question.

Her eyes widened. "No!" Her face was suddenly filled with rage as she spun around at him. Tai Lung wasn't surprised that she was quick to deny it, but he could tell when someone was lying.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. Everybody is afraid of me," he stated.

"I am not afraid," she growled.

He stared at her blankly, then lurched forward a step. To someone without a keen eye, she would have appeared to have not reacted to this. But Tai Lung saw the slight shift of her eyes, and could nearly feel the heightening of her heartbeat. She was afraid, and he knew it.

He couldn't fathom his own thoughts... Finally, when he spoke, his retort lacked the same fire her voice carried. "Fine." She turned to him, surprised yet relieved at the same time― although it seemed a little suspicious. "I won't kiss you again." Then he fell back into familiar tendency. "Until you give me permission." Until... Was he that certain? Not likely.

"You're... not lying?" She wore a guarded look. It couldn't be that simple...

"No, I give my word." She clearly needed his reassurance, whether or not she had any faith his honesty was another story.

She had no idea what she was supposed to do. Tai Lung hadn't lied to her yet, but she hardly knew him well enough to latch on to his word. Still... there weren't any better options in front of her. "Alright, and I'll hold you to it," she told him seriously.

He let out a weary breath. "Glad we have that sorted. Now you should get some rest... I'll wake you when we reach our destination." She could have gawked. He was so quick to revert back to arrogant indifference. How could he brush off all that happened moments ago? She knew in her heart that unless she found a way home soon she would end up getting into something she'd regret. "Singapore, you say?"

He smiled. "Singapore."


	6. Lion City

When the ship had closed in on Singapore's harbour, Tai lung gently woke her. She was hesitant the moment she registered his touch, worried that he would try something... but as soon as he told her he moved away and went back on deck, leaving her slightly bewildered. It seemed he would keep his distance... although she was under no illusion that he could change his mind at any time.

Getting out of bed, she stretched out her limbs then looked towards the door.

Stepping out on deck, she instantly saw the conurbation in the distance. She noticed how the Malaysian architecture was quite similar to china's; the rooftops were the same, but every building was built on stilt foundations and the were significantly more shabby than Chinese houses. Turning her view back to the ship, she saw Tai lung standing at the helm with his eyes set on her. She tried to appear indifferent. How long had he been watching her? She'd bet the moment she had come out. His expression was unreadable, which made her want to see what he was going through his head, but his stare was starting to make her self-conscious so she instead tried to ignore him. He must have realised because she caught his smile.

The weather was different, more humid. It was both warm and wet with the thinnest layer of fog. Most of the crew had removed they're shirts, Tai lung too had foregone his. She forced her eyes to avoid him.

Tigress sighed and hugged her chest self-consciously. It probably wouldn't help if she ignored him. Standing straight she began to make her way towards him.

Tai Lung had his eyes set on the door for at least five minutes before she'd emerged, momentarily forgetting that the port was only a short distance away. Eventually, the crew started giving him looks, but he paid them no attention. Then finally the door opened and she emerged. A base sensation ran through him at the sight. He gripped the wheel tightly when she crossed her arms in a motion symbolising defensive behaviour. Tai lung had deducted that what he felt towards her was enhanced in some way by her strength, both physically and mental. She stood as an opponent who defied him, and this made his blood hot. He stared at her as she made her way towards him. She could feel his eyes, he could tell... but that concentration was suddenly broken "Oi, Ser!"

The snow leopard looked over his shoulder in annoyance. "Wha-" but he saw no one. He felt a tap on his leg and looked down. Xiaodan stared up grinning cheekily. Tai Lung found himself grinning back. The boy's mood was contagious, and instead of getting irritated at his lack of awareness, Tai Lung was admired that the young cub had gotten near him without Tai Lung noticing.

Xiaodan wasn't wearing his designated hat which otherwise made him easy to spot amongst a crowd. "What's happening, little boy?" Tai lung asked.

The boy's smile vanished and turned into a look of offence. Of course, Tai Lung knew why that was. "I'm no boy," he told Tai Lung critically. "I'm a man!" he said pointing his thumb at himself. Tai lung raised his brow but smirked at him. Xiaodan wanted his attention. Tai lung considered mocking the lad, but they had this conversation before. He was tired of going back and forth with the boy about it, so he decided to play along.

"Oh, is that so? Sorry, big man. I meant no offence. Oh yes! I can see, you are quite the old man," Tai lung said sarcastically. "How old are you...? Seventy, I'd guess?"

Xiaodan snickered at him and shook his head "No, captain. I'm seven."

Tai lung smiled at the cub. "Yes, as I said! Seventy."

The boy laughed. "No! Just seven!"

Tai lung nodded agreeingly. "Yes. Seventy." Xiaodan gave up, and started laughing even harder. Tai lung scoffed at the easily assumed cub, both had failed to notice the spectator.

She cleared her throat to gain their attention.

They turned to Tigress whose arms were crossed gravely, but if Tai Lung didn't know better she appeared to have a flicker amusement in her eyes. She'd seen the whole thing, hadn't expected such uncharacteristic behaviour from him. She had honest difficulty picturing what she'd just seen in her head, even after actually witnessing it. Tai Lung laughing and joking with a child... Hardly the most threatening representation of the man. She could barely think it, she was attempting to avoid thinking about it. Ever attentive, as any warrior should be, she honed in them immediately. Not that she was eager to familiarise herself with her sworn enemy. Tai lung was, however, undeniably mysterious. She supposed having that awareness in itself; she now knew something more about him. She could easily see that this child was fond of Tai lung, despite it being so impossible. And if she weren't aware of Tai Lung dark nature she might have thought he too was fond of the cub.

Tai lung smiled at her now. She wouldn't settle on it being sincerely friendly though. "Well, _Huā_ , I hope you slept well. Now that you're finally here I thought you and I might commence a little bonding exercise. What say you to that?" And she already regretted opening her mouth. She made no effort to cover up her disgust.

Xiaodan glanced at him oddly. "What type of Bonding is it, captain?" Tai lung snorted at the question.

"It something only a real man could understand," he dismissed, knowing that it would provoke the cub.

"I am one! Tell me please!" he cried. Tigress smirked, the boy was cute. The look on Tai lung's face was devious, however.

Taking Tigress by surprise, he pointed directly at her. "Ask her, she is a woman who clearly understands what a man wants." He even eyed her suggestively. The snow leopard saw how she gawked at the nuanced vulgarity behind his words, then when she finally closed her mouth and looked down at Xiadoan who was impatiently waiting for an explanation. But she was silent as her mind came up with nothing. The unfortunate warrior only continued to stare at the cub dumbly, completely out of her depth. Tai Lung decided to watch this play out. It isn't everyday one gets to witness a master of the highest prestige without an answer.

She tuned into a stammering mess. It was amusing at first, seeing her try to grasp at something tangible. Yet she was unable to even express anything beyond 'mmm' and 'what he actually means is'. The fun wore off fairly quick though. He had no real desire to see her pride be striped anymore than it already had, and so he took pity on her. "-Xiaodan... Where's your hat?"

The cub didn't seem to understand what he was asking but answered anyway. "I left it in my bunk."

"I think you should find it...! Before it gets lost... forever!" Tai lung said feigning worry, the boy started looked worried too. He nodded urgently, then ran off to find it.

She had to admit she had started to sweat. What on earth was Tai Lung playing at? And the comment about her being in the know in regards to men... _How dare he?_ She doubted very much that he had meant it lightly. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't make you suffer what you just said about me?" Tigress threatened in a hard voice.

He huffed at her. "I don't think you give him enough credit, I'm sure he would have understood if you'd explained it to him. He's can be a bit gullible at times, but he's a smart lad. Though... perhaps, you didn't actually have any experience to refer to, and when I put you on the spot you were about as ignorant as he was."

She growled at him. "Perhaps about experienced as I'm wth watching little boys play with dangerous weapons."

He had complete faith that the ball bearing would have only broken the bull's nose. Well, more confident that the boy's shot would have been too far off for that to happen, but he had hoped that Xiadoan would have shot him where it hurts... He wouldn't hide that he was disappointed in her overlooking that he had no intention of murdering one of his crew members. "Are you actually pretending that you believe that? If so then you surely carry your own culpability since you were just going to stand there and watch." He watched the offence burn in her eyes. "You don't actually think I would have let the boy kill someone? I thought you were perceptive, or are you pretending to ignore that the bolt was a fake," he retorted.

She Hmph-ed, "I have to stay on guard, you've already proven that much. I don't truly know what you're capable of, but only from our battles... and hearsay."

Tai Lung frowned. "I suppose you aren't entirely obtuse then."

* * *

When the ship finally made port only her and Tai lung departed, while the vessel was left in Hong's capable hands. The two of them walked down the board ramp and Tai lung paid a tiger whom registered the ship's tenure until it would leave. He led her towards the end of the dock where there were many gondolas' lined up waiting for customers. Tai lung boarded one of them and motioned for Tigress to get in with him. The gondolier was crocodile and he spoke to Tai Lung in a language she didn't understand, but she saw Tai Lung nod at the croc then who began to row. The many roads of the city were canals which intrigued her. She had never seen anything quite like it before, a city with a network of water roads spread throughout to make for a unique way of transport. It reminded her vaguely of being chained against her will along with the rest of the five when Shen had taken them captive on one of his ships, though it had only been on the river that ran through Gongmen city.

There were other gondolas' along the way with people selling an assortment of things, food, jewelry and other trinkets. She noticed that parents with their children were also a part of this, likely a tradition of teaching the youth the family business for when they were old enough to take it up. It was like a market on the canal.

Though she had wanted to stay behind initially, perhaps this was better than sulking on the ship until he came back.

Tai lung turned to her. "Before you ask, we are paying a visit to a friend of mine who lives in this area. He is an important figure, and he'll be able to provide me with what I need in mass," he explained. "As for when we'll be there, just take the time to enjoy the scenery," he told her, though she refrained from snapping at him that she was already doing that.

She found herself feeling absentminded, and speaking her thoughts a loud. "I've never been outside the country before," she told him. And it was true she had never left China. In fact, she'd never took one day away from training or serving the valley. "I can't say that I was overly curious about places beyond it, but this is certainly interesting."

Tai lung watched her intently, surprised that she was initiating a conversation with him. Of course, he too had never travelled outside China before being locked in prison. It was only in these recent few years that he had sought new shores. He'd spent half of his own life in the same position as her's: a practitioner of kung fu, and a defender of the people.

"Interesting indeed," he said quietly. She did not hear.

When the croc eventually informed them that their destination was right ahead, Tigress looked to it and saw a huge residence that appeared to be held above the water beams far more massive than those that supported even the largest structures they'd passed on the way. She was somewhat amazed that such a large building could be built above water this way.

The driver tied the gondola and Tai lung jumped on to the pier that stretched out from the entrance. He turned to her and offered a hand. She checked his face for any kind of malicious intent, but he was unreadable. Against her reason she allowed herself to take it. As soon as she was in his grasp, he pulled her up with a little too much force and she landed in his chest. She tensed up in nervousness, but then guiltlessly Tai lung back away and she saw his expression still blank. He motioned for her to move ahead of him attentive to the way her eyes shifted. It took less than the blink of an eye for her to push past him, and so she did not see his smirk nor the way he watched her bottom sway.

"What do you think?" he questioned as they stood before the entrance gate.

She took it all in, forming an opinion of it. It was... nice, but ignoring that her opinion of anything _he_ asked may be tainted, having such a decadent place built beside such ruined houses seemed a little unfair. "It's nice," she said dryly. He chuckled at her.

"Yes, the upper class prefer to stand out I think. And don't mind all the security, more power means one has more enemies," Tai lung explained prudently. "You'd be surprised at how many people would attempt unseemly actions when in desperation," he added with a gesture to the city.

Tigress snorted. "Not that surprising, actually."

She was familiar with desperation. Her battles with him came to mind... and of course, her current occupation as his prisoner was incessantly in her thoughts. It made her incredibly angry that all her training and conditioning had amounted to nothing against him. Yes, he was more experienced... and physically stronger, but she hadn't even found a chink, not one! Carrying built up expectations, Tigress knew he would be the biggest challenge she'd ever faced, but she had also carried the bravado that she'd overcome whatever he would bring and find a way to win. That was obvious not the case. It was like she'd hit an unbreakable wall.

Her disappointment in herself was so great in that moment that she could hardly move... In the sense, she had posed much less of a threat this time around than the last... being without the rest of the five made all the difference. Even with that being considered, even though it was rational to accept that logic, there was an indescribable anger that she felt for him and herself at that moment. A part of her was roaring in rage... that she wouldn't take it! She _could_ find a way to beat him, and she would! An individual with such arrogance could not defeat her. That part of her all of sudden became louder and more powerful.

She stared at him. He noticed... she knew that, and he must have seen the resentment too. After years training, _clawing_ , to keep up with his shadow she gained nothing except the knowledge that she was stronger than anyone else, and to have that taken was unthinkable. To some extent she would accept that her pride was perhaps as all-consuming as his, and for pride's sake alone she ought to try and take a little back from him right now... He faced her fully, and she squared up.

"Whatever you're thinking, I'd _rethink it_ if I were you."

She stiffened. "Oh... Why should I?"

The uncaring pretence he carried fell fast. "I know you looking for me to say the right thing to provoke violence right now, but I won't. There will be a time and a place... if you really want a piece of me." He then spoke more quietly. "Perhaps we could pick up where we left off in the store." He brought the back of a finger to her arm from which she jerked away. "It sounds rather appealing, doesn't it?"

He recalled his last thoughts just before he'd delivered a nerve attack to immobilise her, that as the first female he'd seen in twenty― and a feline to boot, she was a spurring sight. A boon which he had been unallowed to enjoy, as imposed by himself at the time in his singular pursuit of the dragon scroll... To think, the whole time it had been as he had viewed in himself... nothing. What a waste. Looking back and thinking about why he wanted the scroll, he could not justify it now, not after his defeat. Looking on the bright side, he had _her_ in his paws now.

After a stern gesture for her to move forward they soon reached a gateway with an eagle perched imposingly on top, seemingly on guard. It narrowed it's eyes at them, not in an offensive manner, it appeared to be sizing them up before swooping down on the opposite side of the gate. A few minutes later it opened, allowing them entrance.

Tai lung walked her down a path leading into a huge courtyard, then to the huge open arch into the manor.

They were greeted by a large serpent... no, perhaps large didn't do him justice, Tigress thought. He was stupendous. She could safely guess him to be this apparent friend of Tai Lung. His silky skin tone was simple black but shone a little giving tell on how smooth he was. His underbelly was coloured in a dusty white rimmed with faint yellow. The serpent flattened himself and rose up to his full high which was almost her own, she realised. His eyes were deep vermillion predatory slits and the scales on his head were large plates, unlike most snakes. To put it lightly he was an imposing specimen... not quite on the level of Tai lung, but he held himself just as proudly.

The cobra smiled at Tai lung. Tigress was confused... Everything Tai Lung had said about his friend was true, which wasn't unexpected, but what really took her off guard was the snake's jubilant smile. It was earnest... he was actually happy to see Tai Lung. "Péng yǒu, it's good to see you," he rasped in a low voice. He may have been older than Tai Lung, but she couldn't tell.

Tai lung returned his smile. "And you as well, Raja." Then the snake's gaze turned on her.

"Who is thiss—?" he asked curiously. The snake moved closer to her, his eyes ran over her as if he was sizing her up.

Tai lung smirked at her. "This is Master Tigress, an adherent of the Jade palace. She is now a companion aboard my ship." Tigress was a fraction elated that he was at least respectful enough to refer to her with formality in front of a stranger, but she took issue with him calling her a companion.

Raja offered her a smile and leant forward slightly. "Welcome to my home, Master." He even bowed.

By reflex, she bowed back at him. "Thank you, but please, just Tigress."

"Then you may call me Raja," he politely replied.

He turned his gaze slowly back to Tai lung who observed their interaction with some amusement. When he spoke again, his tone had lack formality and he was much more gregarious. "So, this obviously not a social call. What can I do for you this time?"

"My store. It's empty of... everything, I would ask you to fill a very large order for me... I'll pay of course," he added at the end.

Raja agreed then tilted himself slightly. "It is likely I can give what you seek, but why not stay for a while? You should take some time away from that ship of yours. You and your friend are welcome to stay," he told them.

Tai lung contemplated the offer. "We could stay a while."

Tigress looked put off by this.

"Good. It will be interesting to hear of what you've been up to since your last visit."

"All in good time, but I am weary, I'd like my usual room." He then added... although none of them caught the inflexion in his tone, "and _Tigress_ will require her own room."

That caught her off guard. Raja seemed curious, his forked tongue flicked out for a moment, but then he shrugged and accepted the request. Tigress thought it odd that he allowed her this freedom, but she hid it. Eying the snow leopard himself, she detected something... Perhaps another reason besides demonstrating a bit of kindness. Maybe it was a front... just to test her and see if she'd try to escape. Or maybe he was bragging; that even when distance was between them she would not be able to escape him, or dare not try. All of sudden his, apparent, kind request made her feel small.

Raja seemed to have a have an idea. "She can share with my daughter if wishes. It can be rather boring in this place, you see, and I'm sure she'd enjoy some female company."

Tai lung turned to her. "With me or his daughter," he said offered. She already knew what she would choose because even if he was dangling this opportunity on purpose, yet she could not pass it up. She had to look for openings wherever she could.

Tigress feigned thoughtfulness. "I would love to meet her." Tai lung's face was unreadable, but Raja could hardly contain his broad grin. He obviously found alleviation in something the both of them did not.

"Good, then it is settled."

Tigress' first impression of this apparent friend of Tai Lung was rather ambivalent. Raja had an intimidating appearance but he acted normal. Nothing about him seemed off, and she didn't get the feeling that he was in any way a threat. She may have wrong, but he seemed like a fine person to her. She wouldn't commit to any judgements just yet. They reached his daughter's living quarters, which were, of course, significantly larger than most all room in the estate.

Tai lung decided to wait outside; this might have odd behaviour if she wasn't on to him. He was giving her more space, but why? Perhaps she should admit... she feared him, though not necessarily because he was undeniably dangerous. It was far more frightening to consider his debauched intent... She had never experienced being wanted by anyone so brazen. The implications of even letting him get close did scare her. Always reserved, and only expressing herself on matters she disapproved, she grew up learning how to behave from a role model like her frigid master which made her understanding of tenderness shameful limited. She sighed and closed off her traitorous mind. Her line of thinking reminded to her indelible loneliness.

She didn't even realise that she'd stopped moving until someone spoke.

"Who's this, father?" the much slighter snake asked. She didn't look like her father expect... oddly in that her colours were almost inverted to his. She was a leucistic and her exotic patterns were faint, but noticeable, and she probably less than half his size.

"A companion of Tai lung. This is Master Tigress, who has travelled all the way from china." His daughter then looked at her with eyes that undeniably resembled her father's.

"Hello, it's nice to have a new guest here," she greeted politely.

"Nice to meet you," she told the youth.

She smiled kindly. "You may know, my name is Nisa!"

He then explained things to the part of her needing a place to sleep. Nisa, for no reason Tigress could decipher, look annoyed... but that was quick covered up with a practised smile. "Say no more, she can stay with me." Tigress felt somewhat awkward after noticing, but brushed it aside and expressed her gratitude.

Nisa was about to say something but noticed her father was still there. "You can go now, father," Nisa told him in a way that struck her as somewhat unfriendly. He left the two of them. She turned to Tigress smiling mischievously. "So tell me, what did you do get stuck with Tai lung?"

Tai lung crossed his arms and leant against the wall, that was when Raja came out. Truthfully, after last night when he'd asserted himself... he would probably try to get to her again. She had become wary, much more than before; so it would help to give her some room. In their last encounter he had felt her... but then in the most hackneyed turn of coincidence, he had been interrupted. He would admit, he wished for her to be less tense when around him. That was what he wanted. There was a risk in that she would try to run away... but he trusted that she was smart enough to think very carefully before committing to that. She would certainly have some problems attempting to escape while on an island home surrounded by water.

"You've been busy," Raja said thoughtfully.

Tai lung peered at him, playing off that he didn't know what Raja was suggesting. "Hmm?"

"Keeping that young thing with you. What have you been doing, Tai lung?" he asked the curiousness practically pouring off him.

The snow leopard tittered. He wasn't going to try and cover it up. "She is my prisoner. Her band of intrepid heroes tried to defeat me in Hong Kong not less than a week ago, but I dealt with them," he informed the Tuanku. It wasn't really anyone's business, but he felt obliged to explain since Raja accommodated him.

"Prisoner? What happen to her being your companion?" he asked archly.

"She may be, but I'm not letting her leave," Tai lung said with a voice revealing no emotion.

Raja raised his eyes in confusion. "Why keep her hostage?"

Because he could that's why, though... he should not have. Things would probably get complicated in the long run. The jade palace would come for her eventually. "She was injured and incapable of leaving at the time, I didn't want to wait."

"But you could have gone to the next port and left her there, you don't deny?"

Tai lung did not care to speak of it now. "I asked for supplies," he said, changing the subject.

"Of course."

He was about to say more but before he could the two of them heard sounds of running down the hall. Turning to the approaching sound they saw a pair of guards rushing towards them. A lion and tiger, both were panting heavily which meant they had probably run quickly from where they'd come from. The pair were frantic like something terrible was ensuing. Tai lung regarded them with interest, but Raja seemed miffed by their interruption. "*Pant*...S...sir," they managed to make out through their heavy breaths.

"What is it?" Raja questioned.

"We're... under attack," the lion finally said.

The Tuanku's eyes widened. "What?"

The two looked shameful. "...Th...they have gotten inside, sir; we could not hold them off. The rest of the men are doing what they can... but we've been caught by surprise." Tai Lung looked between Raja and these guards. What on earth were they talking about? Who had gotten through? He realised, from Raja's mien, that he was clearly in the know. The two appeared to be very disappointed at their inability to prevent what was clearly an attack.

Raja scowled openly, then turned his eyes back on his men. "You two will stay outside this door. Let no one in or out, do you understand?"

The two seemed to regain some vigour under the command. "Yes, sir!"

Raja turned to Tai lung. The accusing look he received was not unexpected. "Help me with this and we can forget about expenses."

Tai lung shook his head ruefully, not in rejection. "No wonder you looked so happy to see me."

* * *

Tigress had just finished the concise version of how she been taken... and everything post that up until this moment, only she left out every delicate detail. As far as Nisa was concerned she was just travelling with Tai Lung. It looked like she was expected more, but Tigress did not divulge. Nisa seemed a pleasant young girl, and she did not want to disturb her with such things.

"That's it?" Nisa complained. She had wanted to hear something a little more interesting than that, perhaps racy even. "That's not romantic," she pouted. Tigress shrugged while trying not to snarl at the implications.

"Are you sure you didn't leave anything out?" she asked hopefully. Nisa was starting to remind her of Viper, who was predisposed to cheap romance novels.

"Yes," she said again only this time in a tighter tone. The subject was making her too uncomfortable.

Nisa seemed to notice that her questions were bothersome, so she stopped asking. It did seem that perhaps it would be better to kill time doing something else... "I think we should go outside," she said suddenly.

Tigress looked at her in confusion. How could they go outside they were surrounded by water? "What?"

"Out-side, as in not in here," as if it was obvious.

Tigress frowned. "I know what you mean, I just didn't think there was anywhere to go, I'm sure you don't need someone to tell you that this place is on water."

"We have a garden, it's nice, let me show you." That would be something to see.

Perhaps this discussion could lead to asking about a visit to the real outside. Whether she was ready to try and escape or not, she would first have to know things... and before that she have to start the conversation. "What's nice in this city?"

"There are a few places, not that I ever see them." Nisa answer was lukewarm.

"You don't ever leave here?"

"According to Father, there are people outside who would hurt me. Apparently... It's not safe." The idea wasn't unheard of... but attacking the one you love to get to you was a dishonourable act. Nisa was resentful of her restrictions, it was plain to see.

"Let's go," she said bringing Nisa out of her own ruminating.

They stepped out the room and were greeted by a pair of guards standing at either side. They blocked the path preventing them from passing. "We are sorry, but your father has ordered us to confine you here until the situation has been dealt with; it's for your own protection." They stood by each other blocking the way.

Nisa was suddenly irritated. "What situation, what on earth are you talking about?" Tigress stood behind her glowering silently.

The two guards looked at each other for a moment, as if deciding if they should say. "We are under attack. The Tuanku, and I think his guest are dealing with this matter."

This caught tigress' attention "You mean Tai lung?"

"Yes, he has gone to the courtyard were the battle continues." The guards made no move to get out of the way.

She narrowed her eyes at the two of them. "Move," Tigress demanded as she shoved past the two of them knocking them over. They were filled with surprise by the amount of strength she had. She turned to Nisa. "Which way is they courtyard?"

"The way you came."

Tigress nodded and ran off.

Nisa looked at the two guards picking themselves up and snickered. "Good job, you two!"

* * *

Shifu stood before his newest ally. An offensive aura engulfed this space, though he was occupied with an entirely different matter than the present vibe. He knew that to stop Tai Lung would require every possible advantage. His allies would have to be able to hold their own against the terrible strength and vicious cunning of the snow leopard. The most difficult practicality manifested in how one could find the best people when the opposition was already better; even with all the odds in his favour, Shifu would always be wary of Tai lung.

With good reason.... for how could he have endured the Wu shi finger hold and still live? Even Tai lung with his survivability should have been extinguished... and that was the most frightening thing of all; to know that he still lived. Was he afraid? Was he... relieved? Even after everything he still felt for Tai Lung. He did not know how to react at first... but when he when had finished meditating on the best course, he decided he would save Tigress before anything else. After that, he just didn't know.

"It's settled then, I help you get your student, and eliminate Tai lung." Shifu was clearly wavering. He had his doubts that anything could defeat Tai Lung now.

The speaker before him was shrouded, and could not be seen, but Shifu hardly required further examples Tai Lung's handy work. For a second, just a brief second, he let hope rise that his former student and adopted son may be somehow reasoned with... but he knew as soon as those aerated eyes saw him civility would go out the window. He did not want to do this, but if it was the only way then... so be it.

"How do you, or I, know you can be of use in this mission? I'm afraid I don't share your confidence."

The man chuckled and leaned forward. "I held the monster for _twenty years_. For the same years, you dealt with the man, _I_ dealt with the beast... so who's more qualified?" He then mumbled something about a goose "- it's all on you. As I held Tai Lung before, I can just as easily kill him." His voice had not a single hint of doubt.

Shifu's eyes widened at the man in front of him, still shaken by his appearance.


	7. Enemy at the Gates

Tai Lung appraised the heavy gates, which were evidently held intact by what was left of the palace guards. He could count under thirty able to stand, and many more too injured to be of use. Together, those with the strength left forced themselves against it while the opposite side was being throttled. The air was fraught with panic. Raja moved next him, severity wrote on his face; he eyed the gates grimly. These men were clearly losing heart. It struck Tai lung that Raja must have known who these malevolent visitors were. The snake addressed him first. "There is way around, a hidden passage that will allow us to flank them. We will be able to ambush them from there."

Tai Lung nodded; although he would have preferred to deal with this attack directly it would undoubtedly cause more damage and cost more men, which was unnecessary. Raja's plan was likely one that would minimise the amount of bloodshed on his own side. The snow leopard almost scoffed at his own perspective in consonance with what Raja would think. There was a time when he would never have bothered with such tactics, they were viewed as unnecessary, but at that time he had been on his own, and his only concern had been solely personal interests.

Another resounding boom echoed around them. The guards fixed to the gate staggered back a few inches but quickly forced their weight against it before the next strike. It was brutally obvious that the Raja's men wouldn't prevail over numbers greater than their own. At the look of them, they would likely all die if they were to fight now.

He turned to the snake. "Let's not waste any more time."

Raja agreed and turned to one of the injured guards, he was a charcoal furred wolf, bandaging his own wounds. "You must hold for but a little longer. Should the gates fall you must not allow a single man to pass," Raja implored, his anxiousness was far too obvious. Tai Lung hadn't really paid much attention to his mood until now and he just realised that the serpent was afraid. He couldn't blame him, but that it was visible to the eye surprised the snow leopard. He had never known Raja to show panic, or be unable to hide it.

The guard looked up groggily and frowned. "We all know what we're protecting, sir. None shall pass," he said resolutely. Others heard and murmured their agreement, carrying the same resolution.

"It should be more than enough!" He said with communicable vigour, that seemed to impart amongst the men.

He took Tai Lung to the far end of the keep and eyed one section of the wall, no more conspicuous than the rest, and the hardy feline watched with interest as he brushed his tail over the surface. He appeared to look for something particular. The snake paused, finding what he sought, then pushed into the wall. He moved back slightly, and the wall began the move on its own. Dust seeped out as the wall split into two halves, leaving an opening. Tai Lung hummed quietly, perhaps in admiration. Raja took the lead without a word, Tai Lung following.

"Imaginative, though a little sooty," the snow leopard remarked.

"It has its uses."

The door closed itself behind them. Raja led him through a catacomb with the barest hint of light, but it did nothing to stop them, sight adjusting easily, and Raja seemed to know the correct path to where he wished to go. The Tuanku had never mentioned this place before, though he himself had never been curious enough to ask. It was a labyrinth filled with old vases and pots, likely for storage at a time when this place had been built. Eventually, they found themselves reaching the end of their path; there was a tattered wood door that looked like it could give out at any moment, further affirming the age of this place and that it had not been tended to for many years. Raja tried opening it but it wouldn't budge, apparently not without breaking. So he resorted to doing just that, bursting through the old timber.

They were immediately hit by the beat of the sun and proceeded out on to an opened ledge. The walk area stretched all the way across the wall until it reached the corner of the structure. It was surprisingly unnoticeable from anywhere but where they were standing on it.

There had been no mention even once as to who was attacking. He did have a vague theory, but he doubted Raja would speak on this right now. "You failed to inform me of the details of this invasion, friend. Who are we dealing with?"

"Does it even matter?" Raja muttered.

"It might," he quipped. Raja did not answer.

His was evasive, and Tai Lung was mildly irritated by being brushed off, though he didn't ask again.

Once they had reached the edge he turned to the snow leopard. "This is where we climb."

Tai Lung looked up at the wall. It was fairly coarse, not hard to grip. Tai Lung extended his arm to the snake, to which Raja climbed up on and wrapped around his torso, and then he jumped high and dug his claws into the wall.

Tigress was on all fours, sprinting near full-speed through the halls of the palace, directed by Nisa who had secured herself around the striped feline's waist. She had gotten too fast for the snake to follow so she let her climb on her body so that she'd be able to move as fast as possible without leaving her behind. She would have left her in her room in relative safety, but the girl insisted on going along with her; from how easily she took down her bodyguards she didn't have much faith in them holding off any greater number than their own. No need to risk the girl getting hurt when she was already with her and could protect the snake personally.

"So what are we going to do when we reach the battle?" Nisa questioned.

"What I will do is make this place safe from the invaders. First things first, you are going to stay out of harm's way. At this moment the safest place around here is by me, so until I find a larger group better equipped with holding their own you can't leave my side."

Nisa pouted. "I can help!"

Tigress did not look at her as she spoke, she stayed at her pace. "Your father wouldn't be happy with you putting yourself in danger I think," she said, hiding her scepticism.

Nisa huffed to herself, then suddenly looked mad... as if she had more to say. "It's like being a prisoner, ya know! He never lets me do anything, or go outside, or have fun; this is the most interest day I've ever had in my life!"

Tigress furrowed her brow, slightly disturbed by the girl's positive view of the situation. "Maybe so, but I can't do anything about that. Your father probably wants to protect you. There are things in this world that aren't nice, in fact, they're at your door right now." She couldn't pretend to know anything about Nisa's situation, but she stood by her words. Being a Kung Fu warrior afforded her experience in witnessing almost every kind of evil to see out there. Still, she did think that the confinement Nisa said she was in was right.

The snake seemed to take in what Tigress said, but didn't seem any less irritated for it. "I bet your father lets you do what you want," she muttered.

She could have laughed. Shifu certainly didn't let her do what she wanted. Absolutely not. "I was brought up strictly. I followed the rules." She did as she was told because she was his student. Not only did she strive to do everything possible to make her master proud, but she was also bound by duty. It would have made him even more austere than he already was if she had been rebellious... and she hated it when he upset with her.

"But still, at least you get to travel, which is more than I can say for myself."

Tigress did laugh this time, though not because it was funny. "I'm sure travelling is fun, especially when it isn't against your will." She shouldn't have let it slip, but her mounting frustrations made it hard to stay silent. She was captive to the most fearsome warrior china had ever known and he was carting her around as one would a prisoner, hardly the setting to take the joy out of an itinerant life. Then again, she knew equally that her situation could be hugely worse... but she did not ponder what could have been.

Nisa had gone quiet.

She winced regretting her outburst even more. "I... boarded the wrong ship. I'm supposed to be home right now," she said lamely, hoping that it would deflect suspicion.

The slender serpent didn't reply to that straight away. "Oh. Well... that blows."

She thought it best not to add any elaboration, or it would have looked more insincere. Travelling... Seeing sights? What a childish sentiment, a child's goal. Her only goal was to escape, get away at any cost- Realisation struck. She skidded to a stop before the next turn. Now that she thought about it, this was the perfect opportunity to do just that. Tai Lung was distracted, and she was a strong swimmer if the need cropped up. While he'd be fighting she could be long gone. She didn't know what she'd do after that point but at least she'd be free to devise a way to get back home. It would be far too late for him to catch her when he realised.

"What's up? Are you okay?"

Tigress snapped to attention and peered over her shoulder. Nisa eyed her with concern, oblivious to her thoughts. Guilt welled up in her and made her look away. Here she was planning to cut and run, selfishly, while people who had graciously taken her under their roof were under attack... If she were alone she would have slapped herself.

Turning the corner, the front gates were now in sight, and it looked to be in a bad way.

Tigress looked over all the injured guardsmen and among the group, she spotted the eagle that permitted them entry to this place. His right-wing had been bound, possibly from being broken and she could see he wore a few spots of blood. She wagered he'd probably have some answers about the situation. She approached the bird. "You! What's happened here?"

His head snapped towards her, and look irritated, but his expression softened somewhat when he also noticed Nisa wrapped around her.. "We're trying to hold this gate. The Tuanku and Tai Lung are currently on the other side by now. I assume that these attackers will be dealt with in time, now that your master aids us." Then he turned his attention to Nisa before she could rebute that Tai Lung was definitely not her master. "You should not be here Young lady, your father would have a fit if he knew you were unprotected."

She was about to answer but Tigress did it for her. "She's not unprotected."

The eagle narrowed his eyes. "And you would be?"

She noticed that every guard had his eyes on her now, awaiting an answer... and she'd give them one.

Tai Lung stood beside Raja atop the roof, a place where they could peer down at the enemy. He could see many of them, but hardly the most he'd fought at one time. He estimated over two hundred were standing, other than that the rest were dead upon the grounds of the courtyard. They hadn't left the place in a good state- tiles were shattered, trees that were once tall had been broken, and the decorative columns strewed around had mostly been smashed.

These trespassers had gathered without formation in front of the gate... all stood in wait behind a huge elephant, notably from where Tai Lung stood what set this one apart was that his ears were larger and flared out compared to the elephants he'd seen before... So he was responsible for belting the door? How did Tai Lung know that? In his hands was a gargantuan mace, big enough only for a giant to wield. He could have been their leader, either was Tai Lung was willing to bet that if that one fell the rest would fly. Covered in large plate mail, even his trunk, the bull was quite the paragon of a great beast. Tusks were embedded with needles, something he'd have to be wary of.

The force behind him consisted of mainly wolves, ox and bears, even a few hyenas. He noticed every single one of them bore heraldry. The symbol was of a yellow Moon and Star positioned next to each other, backed with blue. This spiked his curiosity. "That symbol. Whose mark is that?"

Raja shifted and looked uneased. "That is the- symbol of Kuala Lumpur," he trailed off.

Tai Lung furrowed his brow in confusion "Why would they come here...?" Then he turned to Raja dubiously. It was his right to know what he was getting into, but at this time he could hardly back out. If this was an attack from another country then it could only mean his friend was in direr a situation than he originally thought, and if he got involved in this business then it would put him in a situation where he could make potential enemies; this was the very reason he had left China in the first place. He turned to Raja with an indignant look. "What are you hiding?" He growled quietly.

Raja sighed. "I promise I'll tell you everything- after we've rid this place of the encroachers."

Tai Lung sneered, but nonetheless, let it lie... for now. "Fine, but I expect answers!"

"You will have them," Raja promised.

Then Tai Lung turned his sights back on the invaders, embracing his frustration and channelling it into what he would now do. He dug his claws deep into the roof, contracting his whole body. Then, in a burst, he catapulted himself behind of the warriors... soundlessly. With a loud cough, to gain their attention he was met with only ignorance. They didn't notice him at all, grunting incitements and other incoherent noise at the quickly failing gate. Approaching the nearest soldier, he prodded the wolf's shoulder and as he turned Tai Lung's fist blotted his sight before he was launched into his compatriots. Piling, falling and reeling, they were jostled by the impact and set in disarray. When the rest turned, saw what had happened and noticed the only man standing was not one of their own, there was one response. "Who is that!?" one shouted, waiting for some kind of reaction but didn't get one. Growling, he ran to attack whoever this was. Some of the others surrounding him didn't see fit to stop him; they regretted that choice.

They cringed at the sound of bone cracking strikes, though brief it was. Without warning the snow leopard flung the brave soldier, now broken, at no particular person. Whoever he'd landed on laid eyes on the beaten heap of a wolf and let out a scream, urgently flailing to push off his body.

All spectating looked at one another at first in shock but then began to growl, ready to make whoever this was pay with his life. Without pomp or words of threat, they charge at Tai Lung at once, causing dust to quickly rise and create a haze that enveloped them. Nonetheless, they pounded through with their weapons high. Tai Lung didn't need the advantage, though it amused him at how half-witted they were against one man that they would provide him cover and make themselves as good as blind.

Frighteningly... one by one were ejected from the cloud, battered, exactly how the wolf had ended up. The rest of the usurpers halted; they all froze in fear, stricken by sights and sounds. The haze vanished... The elephant, still bashing at the gate noticed none of the battle until now. But then he finally seemed to realise something was wrong and turned his attention from the gate. What he saw was a lone combatant stood astride a muddle of his soldiers. He couldn't stop his mouth from falling. How in hell...? He was sure that they were all standing strong behind him a minute ago. He barred his teeth "You! You did this!?" he snarled at Tai Lung who had his eyes narrowed at the giant.

Tai Lung ignored the barked question and unsheathed his claws, assuming an aggressive posture. "If you're brave enough, step forward and join them," Tai Lung offered him and all the remaining soldiers.

The elephant snapped at his soldier but they were still in shock. This was the prelude to his anger overtaking him. "Well!? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? GO GET HIM!" the elephant whaled. They obeyed with mad grit, and charged at the snow leopard who wore a veiled smile. The elephant commander turned his back on them and continued bashing the gate with ever more rapid blows.

Tai Lung allowed himself a smile as they all charged him. Did they not witness how he had just dismantled all those others? 'Oh, yes... none of them could see a damn thing', and it had been their own fault. A sable hue soared past, movements almost unseeable to the untrained eye. They all froze suddenly stuck in place then began to twitch before falling dead. "Took your time," he said in half-hearted annoyance.

Raja offered him a shrug. "You looked so happy being the centre of attention. I didn't want to ruin it for you," he explained sarcastically. Whatever retort Tai Lung had been ready to offer was cut off when both of them heard a loud crash. The elephant had broken through. Raja moved impressively fast, almost too quick to follow, stricken by desperation. Tai Lung followed after him. The elephant was now inside, and his remaining force poured into the palace behind him.

The pachyderm commander let out roaring trump with intent to mete out his rancorous brand of violence, but then he stopped and looked around. He noticed straightaway that there was nobody to block his path. "What?" He breathed to himself. Where could they have all gone? The gate had been held, he knew this. They couldn't have all vanished... Then he heard something. Out of a darker portion of the room, he saw a lone tiger come forward reveal herself, a tigress to be exact.

"You should leave before I'm forced to make you," she told him sternly.

The elephant stared at her in disbelief. Force him... _to leave?_ His frustration grew, first that spotted cat and now her. They were troublesome and he had not been informed that warriors of their calibre would be protecting the palace. Now he did not know what the outcome of this battle would be... Was this oversight a mistake, or... a betrayal? Could someone have intended that he fail? He did not know... but it did fan his ire. This time his rage got the better of him; he snarled and began to charge at the striped feline furiously. Tigress merely awaited, motionless and unflinching as she let the elephant telegraph his attack. Without hesitation, he raised his Mace high, then brought it crashing down making the ground break leaving a small crater.

He started laughing. They were just one trick ponies. Skilled, but as killable as any other; he moved his hammer aside to see his handy work. He froze, not because of what he had done, but because she wasn't there. The ground he'd broken, but... nothing else. He was sure she hadn't moved, he even looked at the face the hammer to see if she had gotten stuck there, she had not.

He turned his head in all directions in an urgency to find her, then out nowhere his face was greeted by pain. The elephant's head flailed to the side. Tigress appeared in front of him, delivering an airborne strike that sent elephant back a few feet but he wasn't knocked down, not yet at least. Jumping up again she threw powerful roundhouse kick at his jaw then flipped over and hammered her foot down on the elephant's head making him stagger drunkenly. He fell to his knee. Seeing the chance, she moved forward to squat low in front of him, then burst, full-body, uppercutting his chin. The elephant appeared too debilitated from her strikes to counter her next attack and could no longer hold his weapon so she stopped. It was to be over with the next strike, as he was he could make no move against her. She would not exceed the needed force, she was not cruel; mindful of this, she still had to see if he was conscious, or how much so.

She walking towards him with caution and bent down to get a better look. He appeared to be out. Tigress relaxed her muscles and sighed. A quick glance ahead told her that no more of them were coming. She could hear the fight and see forms about the collapsed entrance, though she suspected that the noise wouldn't last for much longer... She was about to walk away but in a sudden move, the elephant's fist shot towards her. In the rush, she made the mistake of covering up instead of trying to dodge, and he grabbed her. She grunted in pain from his tightening grip. Ambling to his feet, the elephant brought her to face height. His expression was itched in pure rage. She was sure she could even see air escape his trunk as he huffed... "I will enjoy snapping you in two," the elephant hissed. Then his grip closed even further, and the breath was forced out of her. She was sure she had stopped him! She had measured the force of her attacks. It should have been enough...

Tigress gritted her teeth preventing herself from letting out any noise that indicated she was in pain. The elephant smiled sickly at her; he would make sure this would hurt her as much as possible. He continued to squeeze until a squeak came from his prey. She braced and didn't make other noise. She fastened her eyes on him and glared, he was obviously less than pleased by this defiance and put evermore force into his hands. With all her might she contracted her muscles against him and pushed back.

His hold didn't abate for even a moment, and laughed at her attempts, through his gloating it was unknown to him that a snow leopard now had his sights fixed on the elephant's back. "I'll not let them get away with this. Whoever's responsible for sending you, traitor or enemy, will suffer more than you will... Die with that knowledge you little bitch."

His bile reached its peak when he felt his hands move... and not closer together. Grinding his teeth, his malignant reaction was cut short by an unseen advent. A silver blur flew straight at the elephant. With crushing force Tai Lung's foot speared right into the back of the elephant's head - in the form of a flying side kick - making him fly forward from the impact. His mouth was agape and his grip on tigress slackened completely. She fell free, heaving. Left with no chance to retaliate, the elephant was sent crashing into the wall by Tai Lung swiftly throwing both his fists into the elephant's back in a double strike; he slumped against limply.

Tai Lung spared Tigress a look. She seemed fine, if only a little out of breath but he could nothing else wrong with her. "Are you alright?" He asked.

She nodded mutely.

"I've finished with the last of them." Tai Lung heard Raja's voice sound from behind him; he nodded acknowledging him while continuing to assess Tigress.

Raja then noticed that no was here. "Where is everyone?"

"I sent them out of this chamber," Tigress informed him "They would have only gotten in my way; the gate breaking down seemed inevitable so I decided it was wise they were elsewhere."

Raja was stiff. "And Nisa?"

"Safe, with them," Tigress assured.

Raja sagged with relief and smiled gratefully. "My thanks."

"Well, now that we're clear on the safety of your guards, I think this place needs cleaning up!" Tai Lung butted in sarcastically.

Tigress rolled her eyes subtly, and Raja gave him a weary smile. "You are right, we should remove all these bodies; I'll inform the guard that they are now required."

They stood in silence for a few moments, then began to head down the hall. Tigress, who had been caught in her digestion of all that had happened in a matter of hours, including just being saved from her own appaling mishap, moved past the elephant's body and followed after- But then, in rampant tear- the should-have-been carcass fired towards her. Her eyes widened in astonishment. She was on the tip of reacting but she felt a gust of wind whoosh in front of her. Tai Lung was there and had his hands gripped firmly on the elephant's tusks. Scowling, he flexed his arms, and with a snarl that could be felt he wrenched the elephant's head, and broke his neck. Even the most audacious person would have cringed at the sound. It finally left the giant dead.

He dropped the elephant without a care. The body hit the ground with a thud, and he moved past Tigress without a word, she eyed him in numbness as he left. He seemed almost urgent as he made off, and she was too shocked to move. Raja eyed the body almost sympathetically. After all, the fellow did take a harsh beating. He'd noticed Tigress still standing by, and she didn't seem to know what to do with herself. "You should follow him, I doubt that he can handle tending to both injured hands without making a mess... and making them worse."

Tigress furrowed her brow obviously confused, then she looked at the elephant. His tusks, the spikes had blood on them. She realised Tai Lung must have injured himself when he'd grabbed it- then she stormed in the direction he had left from.

Raja watched her go and sighed. Then he turned his sights to all around him. He looked distastefully at the mess of bodies and broken stone; it would be a while before this place was restored.

* * *

A fire was prelit before he'd reached room, which helped with the pot of water he'd precariously placed above it to be heated. Clumsily he gripped a bandage between his palms and pulled at it with his mouth, stretching it out to attempt to wrap it around his right hand without soiling it in blood. Idly, he wondered how long it been since he'd last seen his own blood, though such an announcement would never be admitted out loud, it troubled him. He had quite a few gashes from the little stunt he had performed... and some of them were fairly painful.

What possessed him jump in front of her like that? What a dullard he was... There were several reactions that would have been better than the one he'd chosen. It was an amateurish mistake. The very second he saw what going to happen his impulse had been tactless, second nature thrown obtund. That he'd jumped to her aid was not what he was opposed to, but it was done so with brutish rage, which was something he'd taken measures to avoid. It was a mistake- yes, just a slip-up. Yet... he knew that he could not afford to make mistakes, not like that. To lose control was to lose himself. During his escape from prison he'd purged his pit, fighting one thousand guards without making any mistakes, it had been flawless; this was a standard he was committed to uphold, and so he should be ashamed of the mistake he'd made now. He grumbled... this damned bandage was starting to- irritate him!

Snarling he slammed his fists on a table where a collection of gauze and sanitising liquid laid. It gave out under the force making everything fall and clatter on to the ground, his hand shook for a moment in pain but he ignored it.

He bent down to pick the bandage, but someone else beat him to it. His head snapped up and her face was directly in front of his.

Tigress thought she'd get angry with him at first. She could have handled that elephant on her own, she told herself, but that wasn't the point. As galling as was for him to interfere... she knew she should be grateful, after all, he did help her, and she might have suffered something fatal for all she knew. It was a provoking thought... that Tai Lung came to her aid. She felt that she should help him in turn, regardless of where the two of them stood. Tigress did not flinch at the warning behind Tai Lung's eyes, instead she stared back placidly. Tai Lung's childish response was to growl, as he made to move it away from her. She frowned. "Let me help." She could see he obviously didn't want help, he was stubborn... like her, but she would try none the less.

She went to take his hand.

He glared in the hope that she would leave, but she did not, in fact, she met his glare with her own... equally strong. For some reason, Tai Lung found that he was the one relenting. He wasn't all in... or she was suddenly more potent; he found he didn't have the desire to carry on any longer and give her what she wanted. He levelled his gaze, and raised his hand slowly to chest height giving her permission.

Tigress sat down in front of him tucking her legs under her. She took it gently and eyed the wounds without expression, though wincing inside herself as she felt a sense of guilt she wished that she didn't. The blood had dried and his matted fur. He hadn't done a decent job patching it up at all.

"Is there any hot water here?" she asked. Tai Lung wordlessly glanced in the direction of the bowl of water that had been placed slanted over the fire. Choosing not to speak, Tigress got up and fetched the bowl. Sitting back down she took his hand again and began to press a soaked cloth softly on the wounds. She began wiping away the blood clearing the wounds. They weren't deep, but she knew it would sting a lot and looked at his face for any signs of pain but when she glanced up she noticed him watching with little concern.

She did well and fell into the role with an ease of experience one had when at times it called upon her to take care of the wounded. Tigress did, after all, have teammates who occasionally needed tending. He didn't show any signs that it actually hurt... but he was giving her a certain look again, the one that made her self-conscious, brought out that fluttering feeling through her whole body, made remember and feel... She stopped herself there. She would not name it, and she could only handle his incalescence for so long. She diverted her eyes back to his hand. "You're welcome to blink," she said tonelessly.

He smiled uncertainly. "Pardon?" Tigress frowned; so now he finds his voice... How shameless. She just didn't get him, even now after taking a blow, he acted aloof and without a qualm.

"You know what you're doing, just stop." she quipped. She was trying to get this done without with composure but it seemed that she would have some trouble, he ever the antagonist.

Tai Lung gave her a more or less innocent look, yet in his eyes, the ardour remained. "Why don't you tell me, because I'm not really sure what you mean," he said shaking his head.

She blushed persistently, not realising she had been until now and snapped at him. "Stop looking at me like I'm some sort of-of... catch!" She literally hissed.

There was a malign edge to his otherwise teasing smile. " _Catch_. Well, I did catch you. Hn. You're blushing, Tigress."

That comment only caused her red face to become brighter. "I don't."

"You do." His smile actually softened, but she too embarrassed to notice. "It's... lovely. I believe that is the apt term."

If that was the case then she could do nothing to control it. She pretended to ignore his comments and drove back into her task; she knew he wasn't finished just yet though.

"It a red shade, you would think that one would find it difficult to notice over your orange fur; but it stands out brilliantly."

He opened his mouth to say more before he could, however, she pressed the cloth with just a little less gentleness. His eye twitched but other than that the only sign that gave of that he felt anything was the frown he now gave her. He let up, but was now sulking. She smirked at her triumph, but then she faltered.

She finished with his first hand and had wrapped it. "Tai Lung."

He answered with an expectant look.

Tigress hesitated, thinking over whether she should say what she felt she should. She was aware that she was being reticent and nodded to his other hand. He gave it to her; she began the same treatment. She looked at him again and wondered why she was hesitating. Why not, if only to get it out of her system? Maybe it was nervousness holding her back. Why should she be? She had no reason and he... wasn't any different to anyone else. "Tai Lung?"

"What is it?" Clearly, he could tell that there was something bothering her.

She sighed, which caused him to raise a brow; but then she steeled herself and the words came out. "Thank you for saving me."

He stared at her, not expecting those words, more strangely his response was genuine. "You are welcome."


End file.
